Well, wasn't it just yesterday we were all fighting over and fretting about the fax machine? (And, to tell the truth, the clock on my VCR is still blinking. I still don't know how to fix that.)

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Who would have thought spring chicken Ed Dooley would be retiring? For those who do not know Mr. Dooley, he is - or, was - the vice president of communications and marketing for the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). After serving as spokesperson for ARI for the last 12 years, he has decided to step down to have some fun on his boat. He plans to sail it who-knows-where with his lovely wife, Connie.

"Ed Dooley made many lasting contributions to improve our industry," said William G. Sutton, president of ARI. "He and his wife, Connie, made many friends during the past dozen years and they will be missed. But at the same time we are happy that they will now have the time to enjoy their passion for sailing."

Dooley served as secretary of the ARI board of directors and was a founding member of the Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration, and Plumbing Career Education Coalition, which recruits talented individuals to careers in the HVACR industry. He was a board member of the Clifford H. "Ted" Rees Jr. Scholarship Foundation and the Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA).

Dooley joined ARI in 1992. Previously, he worked as a partner in a business strategy consulting firm and as vice president of Public Affairs at the National Cable Telecommunications Association. He came to Washington as a wire service reporter on Capitol Hill and became special assistant to a U.S. senator and a U.S. representative before working in the Executive Office of the President and at the Federal Communications Commission.

Don't tell anyone, but Dooley is my idol. I want to retire when I'm in my 40s, too. (What? Ed is older than that?)

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Who would have thought I would ever return to my roots? Well, I have. My parents, most of my siblings, and a ton of friends live near or around the St. Louis area, so the decision to return was really easy to make.

To reach me by telephone, please call my new home office number, 618-239-0288. If you have to send some correspondence by U.S. mail, please send it to 24 Orchard View Court, Belleville, IL 62221. My e-mail address remains the same, markskaer@achrnews.com.

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Who would have thought Carrier Corp. would be returning to the International Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition? Don't look now, but expect to see the company's presence - after a noticeable hiatus - at the 2005 show in Orlando.

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Who would have thought the Department of Energy (DOE) would raise the standard for air conditioners and heat pumps to a minimum 13 SEER, not 12 SEER, by January 2006? With that in mind, expect the government to begin looking to set higher standards for the commercial side of A/C. That was the warning from Geraud Darnis, president of Carrier, to a roomful of architects, contractors, and building owners at the company's recent Commercial Convention, held in Las Vegas.

On the heating side of the coin, DOE is currently reviewing its energy-efficiency regulations for residential furnaces and boilers. The department held a public meeting Sept. 29 in Washington, during which the department presented its methodology and the results of its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR). The department is accepting comments, data, and information regarding the ANOPR until Nov. 10. If the DOE does eventually release new standards, insiders believe they may not go into effect until 2012 or later. Most expect they will be coming.

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Who would have thought Election Day would be right around the corner? Please vote. It's your duty.

Mark Skaer is editor-in-chief. He can be reached at 618-239-0288 or markskaer@achrnews.com.

Publication date: 10/25/2004