Councils face change as Bruce, Choi leave

Bruce, who works at SDS Lumber Co., is leaving the council to give him more time to further his education.

"Leaving was a tough decision to make," Bruce said. "The future of SDS is not looking good, and I need to get my schooling done."

"I'm sorry to hear Jeff is leaving the council, but I fully understand," said council member Francis Gaddis.

Wil Keyser, director of public works for the city of White Salmon, praised Bruce for his work on the council.

"He's a leader," Keyser said. "He does his homework, and this body will miss his service here."

Choi, owner of the Bingen Superette, decided to leave the council because he is moving to Vancouver to pursue new business interests. He has sold the business itself, although he will continue to own the building.

"I'll miss it. I feel like this is my home," Choi said. "But I'll be back. I plan to retire here."

Bingen Mayor Brian Prigel said Choi's resignation came as a surprise.

"I had no idea he was selling the business," Prigel said. "It'll be sad to see him go. He served us well, and it was nice having a different perspective on the council."

Choi has sold the Bingen Superette to Ike and Jennifer Jung, who moved to the area from Portland.

Jennifer Jung said they plan to keep the store basically the same.

"We'll keep it as is," she said. "Choi was doing a good job."

Both cities are now seeking replacements to fill the open council seats. To serve, citizens must be at least 18, be a registered voter, and live inside the city limits of the respective city.

Those interested in serving on the Bingen City Council are being asked to send a resume and a letter of interest, by May 11, to: Bingen City Hall, P.O. Box 607, Bingen, Wash., 98605; or call 493-2122 for more information.

Those interested in serving on the White Salmon City Council are being asked to send a resume and a letter of interest, by May 10, to: White Salmon City Hall, P.O. Box 2139, White Salmon, Wash., 98672; or call 493-1133 for more information.