Johnson Street Underground singing group 7:00 p.m. & View the Stars 8:00 p.m.
On August 29 at Merrick State Park there will be TWO programs. The Johnson Street Underground will perform at 7:00 and is Winona’s premiere acapella group. JSU performs in and around Winona covering a wide variety of songs and styles, including songs by Green Day, Dolly Parton, the Beatles, and Adele. The clear, strong lead you hear is Matt Schultz, Johnson Street Underground’s dramatic tenor. Matt is the Elementary Title I teacher at Jefferson Elementary School. Matt has also sung for the Blue Heron Consort. Matt’s other hobbies include guitar, oil painting and yurt construction. Seth Flatten’s warm, bright voice makes him JSU’s lyric tenor. Seth is a Customized Training Representative at Minnesota State College Southeast. A lifelong Winona resident, Seth began singing in a children’s choir directed by his parents. In his free time, Seth plays guitar and slays orcs in Dungeons & Dragons. JSU’s baritone is Charlie Opatz, but his vocal talents allow him to swap parts with everyone. He retired a few years ago as an Academic Advisor/Career Counselor from Winona State University. He has sung a cappella with The Half-Steps (St. Cloud) and served as choir conductor for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winona. John Chernega sings the low notes as JSU’s second bass. John is a teacher who has taught college English at Winona State University as well as Augsburg University and Century College in the Twin Cities. He has sung the national anthem for the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Cubs, and the Minnesota Twins, but only because he was in the stands singing with everyone else. John writes short stories, poems, and comics.
The SECOND exciting program, which will begin at 8:00 p.m. in the Nature Center, while be presented by Professor Anderson. What is “ASTRONOMY”? Professor Anderson is from Winona State University and will lead the discussion. After her program she will have, for your use in the parking lot, Telescopes to view the night sky. It’s always an intriguing subject to explore at any age. She will bring many telescopes for you to use viewing the night sky looking for Mars, Venus, the Moon, satellites and maybe the International Space Station, if it is in a viewable orbit at that specific time of day, may pass over head.
All programs are sponsored by the Friends of the State of Wisconsin State Parks and Merrick State Park Turtle volunteers. “Your” generous donations are always appreciated at each park program which enable us to help sponsor future programs. For all Saturday night program updates follow us on Merrick State Park’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/merrickturtles. ALL programs are FREE however a 2026 VEHICLE annual sticker or day pass is required. For your vehicle admission, it may be purchased 1) online, 2) at the first brown building as you enter, or 3) at the kiosk just past the first brown building.
