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Lake County seeks support for intergenerational woodworking and arts center in Two Harbors
Summary
Representatives and a county administrator described a revitalized senior woodshop and arts center in Two Harbors that pairs seniors with students and requested startup/materials funding; a $10,000 county contribution was noted but no state appropriation amount was specified.
Representative Zalesiger introduced House File 2‑80 to support a senior woodworking and arts center in Two Harbors (Lake County) that provides intergenerational programming between seniors and students.
Matthew Huddleston, Lake County administrator, testified the project will revitalize the Two Harbors senior woodshop and art center, pair seniors with high‑school and homeschool students for mentorship and hands‑on projects, and support an active membership drive. Huddleston said the county board contributed $10,000 toward startup expenses for utilities and insurance and the city has contracted the group to produce benches as an earned revenue stream. The requested legacy funding (amount not specified in the transcript) would cover startup materials and utilities until sales revenue becomes sustainable.
Committee members asked how many people the program currently serves; Huddleston said participation varies and that the program has existed in various forms for about 25 years, noting seniors’ participation changes with health and weather. No formal appropriation or vote on HF 2‑80 was recorded.
Ending: The committee heard the intergenerational goals and local support; the dollar amount for any state funding request was not specified in the testimony.
