New Blue Mound State Park shelter will warm skiers

BLUE MOUNDS, Wis. (AP) - Blue Mound State Parks is getting a welcome addition - a $500,000 shelter where skiers and other visitors will have a space to warm up.
    
A Wisconsin State Journal report says the shelter is scheduled to open Saturday night during the park's annual ski-by-candlelight event.
    
The shelter has been in the works for 10 years. It became a reality through the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Blue Mound State Park.
    
The new building has cathedral ceilings, a heating and cooling system, skid-resistant floors and heated bathrooms.
    
Blue Mound State Parks attracts about 140,000 people each year. Park Ranger Kevin Swenson says about 10 to 20 percent come between December and March, attracted by the well-groomed ski trails.