The Senior Scene

King County Metro Transit and Senior Services’ transportation program have  expanded the free Hyde Shuttle community van service to Auburn.

The shuttles, which are lift-equipped, serve seniors who are 55 or older and people with disabilities. Rides are provided between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays to Auburn Senior Center, grocery stores, libraries, banks, cultura and social activities, and errand destinations.

Vans deployed for the shuttle service operate within the Auburn city limits. The rides are free, although donations are accepted, officials said. Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance by calling 206-727-6262. There are no applications to fill out or in-person screening for eligibility.

Health Care Providers Council of Pierce County wants to give caregivers the attention that many of them deserve.

The council, a non-profit organization that promotes service and care for older and disabled adults, is accepting nominations for its 2014 All-Star Caregiver program. Nominations can be made at healthcareproviderscouncil.org. The deadline is May 5.

A dinner honoring caregivers will be held June 4.

Recognition is based in part on persons who go above and beyond to contribute to quality of life, according to the council.

Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources will host informational meetings in April on the subject of long-term care and insurance.

The one-hour meetings, which the county agency describes as an opportunity to get straight-forward information about the benefits and disadvantages to a long-term plan, are scheduled for:

• April 14 at 7 p.m. at Soundview Building, 3602 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma.

• April 16 at 7 p.m. at Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community, 1301 N Highlands Parkway in Tacoma.

The meetings are free. RSVPs are requested in advance by calling (253) 798-8787. Additional information is available from Aging and Disability Resources at (253) 798-4600.

Topics to be covered include: long term care services and the need for care, what insurance really does, who should buy it and who shouldn’t, and alternatives to long term care insurance.

“Our culture often denies aging,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, manager of Aging and Disability Resources. “It’s easy to not even think about long-term care insurance. It can be very expensive, and most of us never think we will need care for an extended period of time. But before turning our back on such a policy, it’s important to know what it is we are rejecting.”

About 10 percent of adults have long-term insurance, and Medicare doesn’t cover long-term care, officials said.

Roy Van Buskirk and his grandson bridged the generation gap by restoring a 96-year-old automobile.

Van Buskirk, 72, and Brandon VanBuskirk, 10, got hours of enjoyment and time together from the project. And their work on the 1917 Model T truck caught the eye of judges who picked it for an award at a recent classic car show in Tenino.

It all started when VanBuskirk, who lives in the Eatonville area and is a member of a Model T club, learned about the truck that was rusting away in a field in Orting, where its owner had parked it after it stopped running. The antique had been used for a variety of purposes, including farming.

Weather and time took its toll on the jalopy. The original wood body was rotted, and weeds and grass had grown up around the frame.

VanBuskirk hauled the truck to his home, where Brandon began the restoration last September. He and his cousin, starting with a bare frame, sanded it down “and we went from there,” VanBuskirk said.

Grandfather and grandson searched for parts in scrap yards and made what they couldn’t find, which came natural for VanBuskirk. “I’ve been building and messing around with cars since I was Brandon’s age,” he said.

The project was a good way for Brandon to keep busy. “He has a lot of energy,” VanBuskirk said.

The end result impressed other classic-car aficionados. Brandon was chosen for a Young Rodder award after he and VanBuskirk showed their truck at the Tenino Quarrymen Car Club show Aug. 13.

Lou Inchausti, the owner of Diversified Custom Car Co. in Tumwater, and some of his friends decided 15 years ago to start handing out Young Rodder kudos “to promote more interest in the hobby of building and showing cars and trucks among the younger generation. They’re the only ones that can carry on this great tradition.”

The awards are based on a young person’s “active involvement” in building and maintaining a vehicle, Inchausti said. “In the 15 years I have been judging and presenting the awards, I’ve been waiting for someone to totally blow me away with their enthusiastic involvement in a project,” and “it happened” when he encountered Brandon at the Tenino show.

Brandon explained in detail “the operation and location of every knob, button and switch on the truck,” as well as “the starting procedure and all of the areas that he helped work on,” Inchausti related. “I turned to his grandpa, shook his hand and said, ‘You’re one heck of a teacher. Congratulations.’“

Inchausti was so impressed that he became emotional when telling others about Brandon. “I couldn’t get through the story without losing my composure,” he said.

The duo received a round of applause during the award presentation.

Now the young-again Model T gets a workout on VanBuskirk’s property, where Brandon drives it under the watchful eye of his grandfather.

This article is reprinted with permission from The Dispatch, a community newspaper that covers the south Pierce County area.