Arlington resident elected to state board of mortgage brokers
Edmonds A 20-year-old state trade association that provides education and legislative support to its 1,600 members, The Washington Association of Mortgage Brokers, elected its new officers and directors for 2008, with Arlington broker Pennie L. Carey joining the board.
Carey resides in Arlington and is the broker/owner for Worldwide Home Lending located in Marysville. Carey has more than 14 years experience in the mortgage industry and has been a chair of the ethics committee. She has been member of WAMB for five years.
The Washington Association of Mortgage Brokers is a nonprofit group of mortgage brokers dedicated to advancing the knowledge and understanding of the mortgage industry. WAMB educates and informs its membership, consumers and legislators at both the local and state levels by advocating, regulating and certifying the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and best lending practices. For more information, please visitwww.wamb.org.

Latest in aviation technology
ARLINGTON Out of the Blue Aviation at Arlington Airport is hosting a wine and cheese reception Friday, Nov 16 to introduce its new Cessna 172 aircraft with the new G1000 system.
Local area pilots and other aviation enthusiasts are encouraged to attend this reception to see the latest in aviation technology, complete with weather, terrain, and traffic guidance as well as many other features that make flying safer and more enjoyable than ever. Demo flights can be prearranged. A full-day ground school will follow the free reception Saturday, Nov 17 to train pilots on using this new technology.
RSVP at 360-474-1060 for the reception and for the ground school.

Wes Ruth celebrates 20 years in
vehicle maintenance
ARLINGTON The owner of Smokey Point Auto & R.V., Wes Ruth, believes he was destined for a career in vehicle maintenance.
He studied ag mechanics at Arlington High School and his first job was at Stilly Auto Parts when he was a junior in high school. He also worked as a foremans assistant at Twin City Foods. After graduating from AHS in 1974, he enrolled in a diesel program at Skagit Valley College. As a class project, he bought an old bulldozer and repaired it. After graduating from the program top in his class, he was hired by Morgan Brothers GMC in Everett as an apprentice. After four years he became a journeyman.
In 1988, Ruth opened the doors of Smokey Point Auto & R.V. on Smokey Point Boulevard, and moved 18 years later in 2006 to 67th Avenue later for larger space and easier access. His new repair shop has 5,000-square-feet inside a 10,000-square-foot building.
We have five bays for automobiles and room for the largest R.V., Ruth said, adding the most drastic change he has seen in the industry was the use of computers to run vehicle systems. This changed the types of tools he uses, the amount of information he needs, and has increased the need for training. The use of paper manuals has given way to computer CDs, DVDs, online information, and scopes have been replaced by scanners.
As for what the future holds for auto and R.V. service, Ruth sees more electronics, hybrid, and alternative fuel vehicles.
At Smokey Point Auto & R.V., we use state-of-the-art equipment for imports and domestic vehicles. As the industry changes, we will be changing with it, he said.
And hes proud to remain in his hometown of Arlington.