Filming in Petoskey, Michigan

The city of Petoskey sits in Northern Michigans Emmet county. The cities growth started to occur in the region when the railroad arrived in 1873. Early on it was referred to as the Land of the Million Dollar Sunsets. The community is one on Michigans crown jewels for year-round recreation, arts, and culture. The word “Petoskey” is a native word that translates to “rays of light.” The famous Petoskey stone bears have that name because the fossil in the stone resembles rays coming from the sun.

This past weekend we came to this community to better understand how the aging and retirement populations stay socially and physically active.

Special thanks to the Staffords Perry Hotel for allowing us to create a home base for our production team which included native Emmet county resident, Nick Tahtinen. Saturday was spent at the Friendship Circle of Emmet County Senior Center (http://www.emmetcoa.org/) which is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year. The director of physical activities Brian Welsh, as well as marketing director Char Delis, shared with us the value the center offers for their local citizens. We were able to film with several Petoskey residents who frequent the center and rely on it for both physical and social community, which we are also learning is extremely important for cognitive health and well being.

Two of the people we interviewed, Gretchen and Harold, both met at the center and have become close friends who spend time in a local choir, going to movies and other activities. Both are also impressive table tennis players. As with any production where we are filming an action scene, quite often we have to move the cameras around to get several different angles. I would like to thank all the participants who were so patient with my frequent requests to repeat several of the exercises over and over again.

We also sat down with county commissioner John Scheel who helped us understand the aging demographic of Emmet County and how they embrace a healthy and active lifestyle.

Our western culture is learning the value of embracing Eastern philosophies and practices, especially the baby boomer population. On Sunday, we filmed at Yoga Roots, with owner Tiffany Lenau who is also celebrating a 10 year anniversary with her business Yoga Roots (http://www.yogarootspetoskey.com/) She shared with us the importance of yoga, the mind-body connection, and how new research is confirming how valuable it is to cognitive health. She also taught us about the significance of the Tibetian singing bowls. She talked about their song and vibrations and how it has valuable healing qualities to help remove blocked energy. Part of the class we filmed included chair yoga, which is designed for individuals who struggle with balance or have physical limitations, so yoga can be available to everyone.

Also While in Petoskey, we were invited to Jack and Susan George's home. Susan shared the last few years journey that she and husband Jack have been on and now his most recent diagnosis of Frontotemporal dementia. While they have become important advocates for the Alzheimers Association, Susan made it very clear that the life she now lives with Jack is complicated and frightening. She has had to leave her career to care for her husband full time. This story is common among couples, especially for those with early onset dementia. Susan hopes that by sharing their story, they may be able to help other families who are going through the same situation by recognizing early “signs” of the disease. Thank you to the Georges for sharing their very personal journey.

Finally, we would like to thank all the participants and community leaders for being a part of our film and we look forward to a premiere there in the spring when the film is complete.

To learn more about how you can support this very important film, please go to: http://ontodaysfrontlines.com/alzheimers/