BOB CONRADI

Photo Editor

A more primitive world lies not far away.

Waterloo State Recreation Area is located halfway between Ann Arbor and Jackson, Mich. At 20,000 acres, it is the largest state park this side of the bridge.

When combined with the adjacent Pinkney Recreation Area, the area totals 30,000 acres. The park features many lakes, wetlands and forested areas amid glacial features such as moraines and eskers. It is home to many species of plants and animals, including some that are rare or endangered in Michigan.

Backpackers enjoy the Waterloo-Pinkney trail, a 36-mile adventure usually experienced over three days. Equestrian and mountain bike trails are also available.

To see this pristine bit of Michigan, travel west on I-94 and take any of the exits from 159 to 147. Campers, hikers, fishermen, hunters and birdwatchers will be rewarded.

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From Sri Lanka, with love: Mother returns to help ailing daughter;
Father says Voice articles were instrumental in forcing reunion

QUINN DAVIS

Editor

JOCELYN GOTLIBWASHTENAW VOICE

Sadeepa Munasinghe sat in her living room laughing that same, balloon-pop kind of laugh. First, it’s a shrieky surprise. But then, you realize that it’s pure joy. Not just any joy – it’s the kind of joy that makes your cheeks hurt and your eyes water.

And it’s the kind of joy she gets from looking at her mother in that room for the first time in two years.

Sadeepa, 24, a Washtenaw Community College student, her brother Chalan Munasinghe, 27, and their father Indrapala Munasinghe, 64, were first featured in The Washtenaw Voice in December 2009. At that time, their mother and wife, Pauline Perera, 56, was in their home country of Sri Lanka, trying desperately to get a U.S. visa.

While it would be easier for the entire family to go to Sri Lanka, the solution isn’t quite that easy. Sadeepa has Wilson’s disease, a genetic disorder that causes copper to build up in its victim’s tissue. As a result, everything from her coordination and balance to her speech and, yes, her infectious laugh, is affected. Sadeepa needs assistance in the simplest of daily practices, such as taking her medicine and bathing, all things her mother used to help her do.

Wilson’s disease is rare. So rare that only 20 countries in the world are known by the Wilson Disease Association to have physicians knowledgeable on the subject. That is not to say that all of these countries have treatment centers; in fact, not all of them do. But one thing is for sure – Sri Lanka is nowhere on the list.

Ann Arbor, however, does make the list, and does so with some of the best physicians in the world. Since Sadeepa and Chalan need to be full-time students in order to stay in the U.S., it was the perfect place for them to relocate after Sadeepa got sick.

“Unfortunately, her sickness is such that the only doctors are here. So she had no other place to go,” said Indrapala. “If she had doctors back in my country and if they had the treatment and all that, I would have taken her back straight away.”

So while the family wished to see their home country of Sri Lanka again, they knew it was not possible for them. After all, without treatment, Sadeepa could face liver failure, kidney complications and even death.

JOCELYN GOTLIBWASHTENAW VOICE

In 2005, Sadeepa and Chalan relocated to Ann Arbor from their school in Alabama. Their parents joined them from Sri Lanka. For three years, the family worked hard to stay together, stay in the U.S. and stay healthy.

“When they were here, they kept us fat and happy,” laughed Chalan. “We were like humpty dumptys when they left!”

On July 4, 2008, Perera and Indrapala went back to Sri Lanka for what was to be a three-week visit. On their way back out of the country, they were stopped. Indrapala was let through, while Perera was kept behind. They were told that something was wrong with her visa.

“The lady at the office, she reject me just for nothing. So I cried and I begged. I said, ‘You are playing with my daughter’s life,’” said Perera.

She wasn’t kidding. In the two years Sadeepa spent without her mother’s care, her health regressed. Years of progress disintegrated, making her speech slower and more slurred. She lost the dexterity of her hands, giving Sadeepa trouble taking her medicine during the day. Some days, she simply forgot to take it.

“My hair was a total mess!” laughed Sadeepa.

“Especially in our culture, mother is doing the girl’s hair,” said Perera.

JOCELYN GOTLIBWASHTENAW VOICE

In the meantime, Perera kept reapplying for her visa, and they all kept praying. She was denied six times before she was finally allowed back. When she got the call, she pulled over, listened to the official tell her the good news and immediately turned the car around to get her passport pictures taken.

Even though the family had survived a lot of heartbreak, Chalan decided to trick Sadeepa into thinking that their mother had been rejected once more. As usual, Sadeepa couldn’t stay angry for long.

“She was listening, and about ready to go there and kill that guy! So I said, ‘Unfortunately for us, she will have to come here before the 15th.’ And she was like, ‘…what?!’ So she was so happy. She couldn’t even talk that time,” said Chalan.

Soon after, Perera made the day-long trip from Sri Lanka to the United States. After tears and hugs at the airport, Perera went straight to work helping her daughter get back on track.

Perera’s visa lasts for a year, so the family’s next goal is to somehow extend the visa.

“The biggest fight is now. There’s no point spending short spells with her. Once again she’ll be back to the same. We have to work out a way to stay longer so that she can come out of this sickness,” said Indrapala.

To do this, Indrapala needs to get a job. Specifically, he needs a job that requires use of his bachelor’s degree. It must be in the private or volunteer sector, and can be temporary if necessary. This means that he needs to work with a non-profit organization or a place like WCC.

Indrapala has four decades worth of experience teaching and practicing culinary arts. He applied for a job at WCC, but never heard anything back. With the economy still low, he’s worried that he never will.

“(If he got a job), that would solve everything,” said Perera.

In the meantime, Chalan remains the only source of income for the family. They worry about a month from now, when his work schedule goes down to 20 hours a week. Classes alone take up most of his income.

Sadeepa will continue as a full-time student, despite the fact that she cannot write legibly due to the effect Wilson’s has on her hands. The family hopes she can become a citizen so as to lift one of the family’s burdens and allow her more time to focus on her health instead of staying in the country.
In the face of all this, Sadeepa remains positive and thankful.

“I always say this: there’s no brother in this whole, wide world that is this good to his sister. Oh man, he has such a good heart,” said Sadeepa.

Indrapala has hope as well. The way he sees it, the previous articles in The Voice helped bring his wife through customs.

“Newspapers can do wonders, even within the college itself,” he said.
The whole family thanks God and their friends for helping them through the hardest times. Without them, they doubt they would all be sitting together in one room, laughing and teasing each other.

“We really, really appreciate all the people who stood up for us. Especially people that sent prayers and who were with us when [our parents] were away,” said Chalan.

“And special thanks from me!” added Perera, laughing.

For more information, please visit www.helpsadeepa.com.

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Voice staffer joins Spaniards in wild celebration following victory

QUINN DAVIS

Editor

QUINN DAVISWASHTENAW VOICE

VALENCIA, Spain – Michigan fans have nothing on the Spanish.

Sure, Ann Arbor covers herself with Maize and Blue on Saturdays. And yeah, you can hear the roar of the Big House from more than a mile away.

But when Spain played, and eventually won, in the World Cup over the summer, the entire country erupted. Babies were taught to separate the syllables of, “E-spa-ña!” so they could chant along with their family during the game. People who hated soccer—which was virtually no one—now fought for a seat close enough to the TVs in local bars. Car horns were used for celebratory purposes only, flooding the streets after every game to meet with Spanish flags, vuvuzela horns and firecrackers so loud that they would surely be banned in the U.S.

Spanish fans, so to speak, are on another whole playing field. And the differences came to a peak on July 11, the day of the World Cup final.

“Even people that don’t care about football, when it’s his or her country playing, they support it,” said Luis Moreira, 23, from Portugal. “It’s kind of like the greatest sport mixed with a patriotic spirit for your country. It’s a way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the world. To win a World Cup, it’s something special, definitely.”

Moreira works in this Spanish tourist mecca as a hotel concierge. He was just as excited as his Spanish friends were about the World Cup, but underneath it all, he was rooting for the Dutch team.

QUINN DAVISWASHTENAW VOICE

“I didn’t vibrate as much as (the Spanish) because, well, actually I wanted them to lose because they eliminated Portugal. So I was kind of frustrated about that,” he said.

Though Moreira had to work the night of the game, he knew who won immediately; the noise from outside permeated the walls of the hotel lobby. Some said that even the dead knew Spain had won; the ground shook with the noise and fierce of the celebrations.

For those alive and outside in Valencia, the air shook too. The decibels grew steadily, starting hours before the Word Cup final. The only people in the streets without red clothes, faces or scarves on usually weren’t Spanish.

Street-side vendors continued selling Spanish flags and vuvuzela horns throughout the game. While traffic died down just before the kickoff, the noise did not. The rumble was steady, like a pot on a low boil. And every so often, maybe when Iker Casillas made that impossible save or when the referee handed out the first of his 14 yellow cards, the rumble turned into a skillet of hot oil.

This game, and the ones leading up to it, were a welcome distraction for the Spanish. The country’s economy has suffered alongside the U.S.’s, hitting unemployment rates of 20 percent in April.

“The newspaper, the news, all they talk about the World Cup. They don’t talk about all the problems. It’s like, for that moment, in this month, people forget about everything else,” said Moreira.

The final celebrations started before the game ended, but it wasn’t until the game was over and the score was secured that anyone could pull themselves away from the screens. Some enjoyed the complimentary champagne passed out at restaurants, pouring the bubbles down their throats following toasts of, “Para España!”

Tens of thousands took to the streets to celebrate with the crowds. The crowds were unlike anything Ann Arbor has seen; the limited light available was filtered through red flags, turning everyone into a giant sunburn. Chants rose and dispersed, the most popular being, “Yo soy Español!” meaning “I am Spanish.”

A few brave Dutch men and women strolled through the crazy, country-wide party, but instead of reproach, they were greeted with respect. Many Spaniards noted the World Cup final as an extremely aggressive game on the part of the Dutch, yet here they were, applauding and even bowing to their rivals.

Imagine UM fans treating a few stray Buckeyes the same way after an equally aggressive (American) football game. It’s unthinkable.

Moreira granted the Spanish team this same respect, even though he wanted them to lose. Besides, in four years, Portugal will have a chance to be vindicated.
“They won. They are the best. What can I say,” he shrugged.

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Photos by Robert Conradi

Over five decades, the original Ann Arbor Art Fair has expanded to four simultaneous fairs spread across the downtown area. The event draws artists from across the country. Media include paper, clay, fiber, leather, wood, glass, metal, digital, and mixed media, limited only by the fertile imaginations of the participating artisans. The visual art is accompanied by an eclectic, sometimes eccentric, collection of musicians. The annual July event draws a multitude of visitors to our fair city.

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ANNE DUFFY

Contributor

DONNA RYENCOURTESY PHOTO

Washtenaw Community College has some of the best filmmakers in the business. Four students and two instructors were Emmy-nominated for their video programs by the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

They attended a black-tie awards ceremony in June at the Royal Oak Music Theater.

Out of seven projects submitted by WCC for Emmy contention in the student category, one stood out from the rest. WCC video students Ben Bach, 28, of Ann Arbor; Chris Paddock, 20, of Dexter; Sean Humesky, 22, of Ann Arbor; and Hafsah Mijinyawa, 21, of Ann Arbor worked together on a production assignment and proudly received the Emmy nomination for their video, “Time As It Takes,” which can be seen on Vimeo.com.

It’s about a girl who repeats a moment of her life over and over again in her head, and “The Twilight Zone,” a classic TV show, inspired it. It also won best editing in WCC’s end-of-the-year video showcase of all the student projects last spring.

Students from Madonna University and Michigan State University were also nominated for their work with MSU winning the Emmy for, “A Piece of Crèpe.”
“It was great to get guidance from our instructor Matt Zacharias, who has a real feel for the art of filmmaking. This was a unique experience and it was awesome to have recognition for the work our group did on our video project,” said Bach.

“It was a fantastic experience (being involved and going to the awards ceremony) and (I) would love to experience it again,” said Mijinyawa, who was also part of a team lead by Eddie Fritz, a WCC graduate, in the 48 Hour Film Project this summer that won an award for best sound design.

“The fact that our students are freshmen and sophomores and are putting forth Emmy-nominated work is a huge indicator of the quality level of the work that WCC is putting out,” said Zacharias, instructor in the Digital Video Department, who has two Emmy nominations of his own for his 2009 PBS shows. “It’s a huge achievement and they should be proud.”

Zacharias produced, “Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary,” which is a documentary about an organization that preserves sunken ship “cemeteries.” The other, called “Poetry Out Loud,” features a national poetry competition in Washington D.C.

Donna Ryen, a former Emmy winner and current instructor in WCC’s Digital Video Department, had an Emmy nomination this time around as well in the category of education for the PBS program that aired last summer called “Sculpting Sounds.” It profiles a composer/professor who works with University of Michigan students to come up with a new jingle for a Michigan television program.

Every year Zacharais and Dan Kier, head of the digital video department, look at the various video projects the students produce and pick the best and show it to a professional advisory committee outside of the school. The projects are then selected and submitted to the regional headquarters in Southfield, Mich. for Emmy consideration.

The fact that WCC students and faculty have had their work Emmy nominated is quite impressive and will bring prestige and honor to the college for many years to come.

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MATT DURR

Staff Writer

ROBERT CONRADI WASHTENAW VOICE

ROBERT CONRADI WASHTENAW VOICE

Construction on Geddes Road at U.S. 23 is moving along as planned, according to the City of Ann Arbor project manager David Dykman.

“The contractors are moving fast, and things look to be on schedule,” Dykman said.

The Geddes remodel is scheduled to be completed by the end of October – and could be finished two or three weeks earlier, Dykman said.

However, some closures could make getting to campus on time a bit difficult. Traffic on Earhart Road north of Geddes will be closed from Aug. 24 until Sept. 3. Traffic to the west of the interchange at Earhart is using a temporary road. That road will be closed so that it can be paved, and will re-open once that process is complete.

The remodeling project is set to include three roundabouts and four new ramps at the interchanges. Traffic lights will be removed in favor of the roundabouts, which should improve traffic flow on Geddes, officials say.

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WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE SUMMER

MATT THOMPSON

Managing Editor

WHAT’S UP?
Much has happened in the world of sports since The Voice last published in mid-May. So for those of you who haven’t picked up a newspaper since then, we’ll bring you up-to-date on what you might have missed with this timeline of local sporting headlines.

MAY 24
Michigan slaps its own wrist
After NCAA investigations found five major violations, the Wolverines gave themselves some self-imposed penalties: Practicing 130 fewer hours over the next two years and having fewer coaches at workouts, practices and meetings. The NCAA met with Michigan about the infractions this month and Michigan is awaiting the final word – and hoping it escapes even greater punishment.

JUNE 2
Sweet imperfection
Armando Galarraga got the first 26 outs against the Cleveland Indians. Actually, he got the 27th one too, but a blown call by umpire Jim Joyce robbed Galarraga of the first perfect game in Detroit Tigers history. After the game, Joyce offered a tearful apology, saying, “I cost that kid a perfect game.”

JUNE 11
Welcome Nebraska
A press conference officially ushered the Nebraska Cornhuskers into the Big 10 in 2011. Nebraska left the Big 12 shortly after Colorado bolted the conference for the Pac-10. Nebraska was nervous of rumors of a Big 12 dissolve and went to the Midwest. Now questions are just starting to be answered for the rest of conference, dealing with divisional breakdowns, the site of conference championship games and preserving traditional rivalries – especially the game: Ohio State vs. Michigan.

JULY 12
Even more ‘March Madness’
What used to be a tournament of 64 teams just got a little bigger with the addition of four more teams. Now, instead of bubble teams whining about being just over .500 and not getting in, sub-.500 teams will get to argue that they belong, too. But all that really matters is change in how the brackets will look when trying to win your office pool.

JULY 24
Limping Tigers
The Tigers dropped their seventh game out of the first nine after the All-Star break. More importantly, they lost Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen to injury in a loss to Toronto. Ordonez is out for the season, while Guillen came back only to get re-injured. The crippled Tigers lost 13 in a 16-game stretch, and never recovered.

AUGUST 2
A boy named Suh
The Detroit Lions helped their defense by adding 6-foot-4, 307-pound defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh with the second overall pick of the draft. Along with new free agents and young talent, the Lions have optimism heading into the regular season.

AUGUST 6
A belated homecoming
Future Hall of Famer Mike Modano of Westland is coming home for a final season with the Red Wings. He’s spent 20 seasons in the NHL with the Minnesota/Dallas franchise, leading the Stars to the Stanley Cup title in 1999.

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MATT DURR

Staff Writer

ROBERT CONRADI WASHTENAW VOICE

ROBERT CONRADI WASHTENAW VOICE

Students returning from summer break may notice some major changes to their school bookstore. The Washtenaw Community College branch of Barnes and Noble underwent a major overhaul this past summer and the changes were met with great enthusiasm.

“We were eager for some improvements,” said Keith Bearup, store manager. “After seven years, we were ready for some changes.”

The remodeling began with the entrance being moved out by about 12 feet to add more sales space. Once inside, the crew was able to reallocate the space to include much more product, while improving the spacing for students to shop.
“It’s amazing what they were able to do without expanding the actual floor,” Bearup said.

All of the remodeling was paid for by Barnes and Noble as part of their contract with the school. WCC President Larry Whitworth estimated the cost to be about $500,000.

ROBERT CONRADI WASHTENAW VOICE

The overhaul included removing a portion of the Study Pub and giving it a modern redecoration. The portion that was removed now houses a room dedicated to those picking up books ordered online. Students who order textbooks online no longer need to wait inside the bookstore to pick up their order.

“I’ve used this for two years now, and it’s very easy. One of my books was on back order and they’ll notify me when it arrives,” said student Kendra Bryant.

The upgrades of the Study Pub and bookstore are part of a complete remodeling of the first floor of the Student Center. In May 2011, a more extensive remodeling project will begin in order to bring the rest of the first floor up to date. That remodeling is to be completed by the start the semester next Fall, according to college officials.

“(The Study Pub) makes the rest of the first floor look a little shabby,” Whitworth said. “It will bring the rest of the first floor up to the same standard.”

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Matt Durr

Staff Writer

Fall is almost here and with the changing of the leaves comes the inevitable talk of how the Detroit Lions will do in the upcoming season. If the last decade is any measure of what to expect, it’s going to be another long season for the Honolulu blue and silver.

But don’t be so quick to assume the team that has become a punch line for poor performances on Sundays is going to follow in the cleat marks of teams in the past.

During the off-season, Lions officials have made many moves to improve the worst defense in the NFL. The additions of defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, defensive tackle Corey Williams and corner backs Chris Houston and Dre’ Bly should help turn the Lions into much better defense.

But the man all eyes will be watching on opening day will be rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The Lions selected Suh with the second overall pick in the draft with the hopes that he will be the centerpiece of their defensive line for the next decade. After a brief holdout to start training camp, Suh is on the field and looking to prove why he was considered by some to be the best defensive prospect since Lawrence Taylor.

If Suh lives up to the hype, combined with the other additions the team made defensively, the Lions may claw their way out of the bottom of the defensive rankings.

On the other side of the ball, quarterback Matthew Stafford has been giving some new toys to play with. Rookie running back Jahvid Best will provide the big play ability not seen in Detroit since Barry Sanders retired. Free-agent wide receiver Nate Burleson should help take the pressure off of Calvin Johnson by giving Stafford another target in the passing game. Johnson is entering his fourth year in the NFL and has never had a teammate like Burleson to compliment him.

Stafford will continue to improve upon his rookie season by taking better care of the football. Taken as the number-one overall pick in last year’s draft, he threw 20 interceptions and only 13 touchdowns. While a flip-flop of these numbers would be nice, Stafford must do even better than that for the Lions to remain competitive.

The second full season of a quarterback’s career is usually a good indication of how his career will take shape. If Stafford has another season full of miscues we may have another name for the list of QB busts taken first overall.

The Lions face a brutal schedule with games against some of the NFL’s elite teams. Matchups against teams like Philadelphia, the New York Jets, Dallas and New England do not favor the Lions. Coupled with games against divisional rivals Green Bay, Minnesota and Chicago and it becomes difficult to expect great things from this team.

While the additions made to the Lions roster should make them a more competitive team, it’s hard to say they’ll win more than they’ll lose. The Lions should win a few games, lose a couple close ones and no doubt get blown out in some.

But they’ll be better, and the important thing to watch is the improvement of the young talent. Stafford, Best, Johnson, Suh, DeAndre Levy and Louis Delmas all have bright futures, and this season may just be where these cubs start turning into lions.

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JAMES HIGHSMITH

Sports Editor

JONATHAN KNIGHT Courtesy photo

The ‘Big House’ is now a really big house – with a price tag to match.

After 80 years of the same structure and three years of waiting, the University of Michigan has finally upgraded one of the most-famous sporting arenas in the land – at a cost of $226 million.

Starting in 2007, it was announced that the stadium would receive upgrades to expand the width of the seats, improve the lighting on the scoreboard, add wider aisles and add club suites and newly improved press boxes, among other small changes.

The hefty project was completed in early August, in time for the Wolverines’ home opener against Connecticut.

“It’s my first visit, but this is a special stadium,” said 46-year-old, Littleton, Colo. resident Frank Lopez. When asked what his favorite part of the renovation was, Lopez replied, “The addition of the suites.”

The stadium has also added a surrounding brick wall and more concessions around the stadium, as well as small novelty items such as banners and plaques displaying the successes of past Wolverine teams.

“I like it. I’m kind of old school, but I like it,” said 28-year-old Ann Arbor resident Eric Bailey. He said his favorite part of the reconstruction was the new concourse.

Another aspect that the fans seem to enjoy is the possibility of the stadium retaining crowd noise. In past years, Michigan Stadium has held a reputation for holding the quietest 110,000 fans in the country.

The stadium’s wide-style construction has allowed noise to escape the stadium easily. With the press boxes built upwards, the university hopes the sound will bounce back and remain in the stadium.

“It looks pretty intimidating,” said Maurice Wilson, 30, of Baltimore. “Lots of sound will be kept in.”

One of the biggest gripes among fans was what seemed to be a lack of completion of the stadium. While surrounding walls and concourses were added, the stadium remains unpainted and rusting in certain areas.

“They look good,” said Scott Richards, 31, of Jackson, of the renovations. “They could have thrown some paint on the bottom, but the suites are nice.”

The stadium held 107,501 seats in 2007 before renovations, and will increase to 108,000 for the 2010 season, college officials say. More than 3,000 club seats were added, but the stadium lost about 2,000 seats by widening the bleacher spaces.

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