The addition of new siding to the Joseph City Hall is an indication of change on the way.

“We’ve been talking for some time about updating the appearance of City Hall,” says Mayor Dennis Sands. “We’ve had some real problems here on the south side of the building with rot. Where big double doors once stood at this former garage, the wall was pulling away from the structure, allowing water to pour in.

“For years we’ve had a line item on the city budget where money is regularly put away for a building fund. Over time that account has built up. We had a goal-setting session, and repairing and the east and south walls of the building were priorities.”

At the entrance to the office stands a bronze bust of Chief Joseph, donated last summer to the city of Joseph by Fred Weatherford Phillips and his wife, Evelyn Phillips.

Their daughter, Marti S. Abbott who lives in Bend, says, “They had an interest in Chief Joseph, which began when we were children and we camped at Wallowa Lake. My parents visited a local foundry, and the bust was later purchased from the Lincoln City Art Gallery in 1985.”

Abbott’s father had ties to Eastern Oregon. Though he grew up in Portland, Fred was a descendant of the Weatherford family, one of the oldest wheat ranching families in Oregon.

The sculpture created by artist Gary M. Hornbeck of Hood River will have a place of prominence in the future large-scale renovation and addition to the Joseph City Hall building.

“The repairs currently underway were the first step in updating the building. Future plans include expanding the building to better serve our residents. Right now our offices are laid out inefficiently and do not afford privacy for the discussion of bill payments. We need to get better organized,” Sands said.

“The expansion will include enlarging the library and adding a meeting room for public use. Funds are available for City Hall’s portion of the new construction.”

Preliminary plans for the project have been drawn and the Friends of the Library will soon begin a fundraising campaign to complete construction of their portion.