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Today was one of those days when Apple makes the news. A new iPhone and iPad was announced. Before the product announcements, Apple likes to show how their products are being used. One presentation/film was on Health and part of that presentation included a visit to Oriental.

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t was Valentines Day. On the morning of Sunday February 14 you may have noticed a bit of activity in Oriental.

Five trucks. Forty-five people. They initially descended on a South Water Street home (sometimes referred to as TownDock World Headquarters), later moving the operation to the Village Health Club pool.

It was a sunny day – but cold. The day’s high would just reach 30 degrees.

OK, first a step back.

In late 2014, TownDock.net’s Melinda Penkava (she takes most of the photos you see on TownDock) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. It hasn’t always been easy, but Melinda has adapted. Daily exercise has been key and on that, the support from Oriental friends has been magnificent.

Physical therapist Jennifer Smart started a tandem bike program pairing people with Parkinsons and cyclists in town. You may have seen Regina Dubiel and Mel on local roads this past year. Choreographer Wendy Osserman has been leading a dance troupe for five local women with PD. The list of people to thank is long.

A year ago Apple introduced an iPhone App called mPower. Parkinson’s patients use it to track their health thru daily tests. Melinda started to use it.

In January Melinda was contacted by a producer, asking if she would be willing to participate in a video about the app. After much dialogue and a meeting, Melinda agreed. We also agreed that the nature of the mystery visit could not be revealed, until the video’s creator revealed it first.

Today, they have.

You can see the entire keynote event at this link (warning – it’s an hour):
www.apple.com/apple-events/march-2016

Or, just see the Health Presentation video here (3 1/2 minutes):

It was hard not to be impressed with the effort and resources that went into the 40 seconds of video from Oriental. Filming was all day. Five trucks (video production mostly, one just had food) and 45 people came to town.

5 trucks somehow wedged in the driveway and side lot.

All the “stuff” pulled more power than the house had. Generators were part of the power plan.

Video production invades the dining room. More below (click on an image to enlarge).

They even sent a make-up person (a staff member not normally included on TownDock.net shoots).

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Upstairs, production executives took over the TownDock.net office, following the filming on two video monitors. Yes Bunky, they really did bring Director’s chairs.

We ran out of room inside. The audio producer got wedged in the carport.

Just outside the carport (with a scenic harbor view) a control board operator.

The crew was well fed. A food truck brought in plates, plus a snack station was set up in the carport.

After a lunch break (at the Oriental Women’s Club), the entire crew moved to the Village Health Club. Filming at the pool was the next mission.

Trucks invade the Health Club.

Guiding the light.

A crane was brought into the pool to capture video.

The audio control team found a space in the exercise room, while some video crew members tried out one of the tandem bicycles. For the past year the tandems have been used by several people with Parkinsons as part of a ‘forced exercise’ program, set up by physical therapist Jennifer Smart.

The Village Health Club cranked up the pool heat to make up for the outside temps. The video crew further added a rolling propane heater to prevent thermal mutiny.

Video monitor showing what the ‘crane cam” sees.

With the pool video shoot wrapped up, the production moved quickly to the Town Dock to capture a shot before dusk.

It was almost dark, but the crew shifted over to the Town Dock for a final shot.

A cameraman used a body-mounted “steady cam” to film at the dock.

A giant black SUV plus several production trucks did not go unnoticed by staff at The Bean. Multiple cappuccino (with mocha) orders don’t normally happen Sundays a few minutes before closing. The scene led to inspired conjecture.

The best theory from Bean customers and staff – “It’s a Nicholas Sparks movie.”

That guess really pleased at least one Apple executive.

Other than that, it was just another February day in Oriental.

Posted Monday March 21, 2016 by Keith N. Smith