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McCarthy says Pelosi’s push to quickly pass spending bill shows Dems didn’t learn from elections this week

Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., on Democrats scrambling to get plenty of votes to move Biden’s economic agenda.

Dwelling Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy argued Thursday that Democrats are not studying their lesson from the elections in New Jersey and Virginia this 7 days, which Republicans argue amounted to a rejection of progressive policies in Democrats’ reconciliation invoice. 

“Tuesday’s success show an crucial truth of the matter. Voters from Virginia to Texas to Seattle to Minneapolis to New Jersey sent a mandate to their elected officers, halt catering to the progressive left,” McCarthy, R-Calif., claimed. 

He added: “You received thousands of tens of millions of voters who just gave you a very distinct message, and exactly where are the Democrats now? Breaking their personal regulations, setting new records of just maintaining votes open, and trying to intimidate and bully members to vote for some thing. … The vote these days is rushed and irresponsible.” 

Home Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks during an job interview as the House considers President Biden’s $1.85 trillion-and-rising domestic coverage bundle, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021.  (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite / AP Newsroom)

PELOSI PUSHING FOR VOTE ON BIDEN Paying out Plan FRIDAY, Reasonable HOLDOUTS Very likely Critical: Live UPDATES

Top rated Democrats projected self confidence late Thursday night that they would be capable to jam by way of their reconciliation expending bill and the infrastructure bill in the identical working day – laws amounting to a whopping $3 trillion. 

But a handful of reasonable Democrats who are demanding scores from the Congressional Funds Business office (CBO) in advance of voting on reconciliation are holding up any vote. As a aspect result of the delay, a movement to adjourn in the Home set ahead by Republicans was held open for perfectly in excess of 4 hours, location a record for the longest roll call vote in Home historical past. 

Speaker of the Dwelling Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., comes to lead Democrats in advancing President Biden’s $1.85 trillion-and-rising domestic policy deal, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite / AP Newsroom)

“There is a motive why they want to run the invoice by means of without the need of having the Congressional Spending plan Business office inform you how a lot it expenses. There are gimmicks at the rear of this,” McCarthy explained. “It is really even why The New York Instances criticizes it as properly. It is really seriously fascinating. From the New York Moments to the Wharton University to the tens of millions of people have voted, you would think, as however that they would wake up, chart a new study course.”

CBO Score ON RECONCILIATION Monthly bill COULD Consider Until eventually THANKSGIVING AS BIDEN, PELOSI SCRAMBLE FOR VOTES

A CBO score is probable to get months to be unveiled, most likely right until Thanksgiving. If House Democrats have to wait that extended right before passing a reconciliation invoice, the Senate probable will not get ahold of it until the very close of November or into December. 

(Photo by Timothy A. Clary-Pool/Getty Images)

President Biden addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2021, at U.N. headquarters in New York City. Biden explained Friday he will be contacting lawmakers to lobby for them to vote for Democrats’ reconciliation invoice immediately. ((Image by Timothy A. Clary-Pool/Getty Photographs) / Getty Pictures)

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At that level, congressional Democrats will have to deal with a crush of close-of-year deadlines, together with the expiration of governing administration funding, military authorization laws and a likely debt default. 

That could sidetrack their agenda into 2022 – an election calendar year when new pressures on associates may possibly make it even more durable for Democrats to go their agenda. 

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Kudlow: We are in a new America

Larry Kudlow discusses the benefits of the election and voters rejecting far-remaining ideologies.

I’ve been in and out of politics for more than 40 decades, It can be interesting to me right after a real sea change, tectonic change, thunderclap in yesterday’s elections, all throughout the country, but specially Virginia and New Jersey, and in Minneapolis and Seattle, and even New York City.

Exactly where there has been a comprehensive rejection of the far-left progressive wokeism practiced by the Biden administration.

Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin can take the phase to respond to election benefits for the duration of an election night time celebration at a hotel in Chantilly, Virginia, U.S., November 3, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)

And nevertheless, he and his political allies are ignoring these recreation-modifying election benefits. Really incredible. It is a crushing defeat for inflationary spending. Substantial tax hikes. An strength policy that speaks of ‘drill Moscow drill.’

PELOSI Gives UPDATE ON BIDEN’S SOCIAL Expending Invoice AS INFIGHTING INTENSIFIES 

The racial divisions are inherent in significant race theory, and of program, the schooling battles pitting dad and mom towards school boards and lecturers. All that was soundly turned down on Tuesday with a remarkable new republican coalition that includes Trumpers, suburbanites, minorities, independents, all weighing in from the D.C. swamp.

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, presents insight into Biden’s Develop Again Superior plan. 

I call it the new Republican Party. I contact it the new political long term. And really calling it the new The us. It is really The usa first. Employment and prosperity to start with. Dad and mom very first. Border control initially. Power 1st. And so forth. So, yesterday, and currently post-election, we see speaker Pelosi forge in advance with a new spending budget that provides to inflationary and anti-function social shelling out with better taxes – but hold out – huge tax breaks for the democratic, blue state loaded, spouse and children and healthcare go away and other concerns that average democrats, particularly Joe Manchin have turned down. 

UNITED STATES – NOVEMBER 03: Speaker of the Household Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., can make her way to assembly of the Household Democratic Caucus in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. (Image By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Connect with, Inc by way of Getty Pictures) (Getty Photos)

It’s kind of in your confront. But it’s in your encounter to the complete American voters. Now look, you know me: help you save America. Destroy the monthly bill. So this large left-wing political slip-up is likely to aid our result in.

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If I may possibly paraphrase a historic fact: “Never interfere with an enemy whilst he’s in the procedure of destroying himself.”

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All this things I am listening to now will be turned down by the Senate, and it really is an exercising in futility, which will annoy presently angry American voters even a lot more. The progressives took a licking that they will not accept at their peril. But you know what, I am good with it. It can be even far better now. Help save The united states. Eliminate the bill.

This post is adapted from Larry Kudlow’s opening commentary on the November 4, 2021 version of “Kudlow.”

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Biden Administration Sets Jan. 4 Deadline for Vaccination Mandate

In accordance to OSHA’s new needs, employees are regarded as fully vaccinated if they’ve obtained two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or one particular dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Corporations ought to supply paid out time off for their staff to get vaccinated and unwell depart for aspect outcomes as necessary. And companies are not needed to both pay out for or give checks, nevertheless some may possibly still be compelled to do so by other regulations or agreements with unions.

Providers that are unsuccessful to comply with the rule may be topic to fines, depending on how frequently they violate it and no matter whether violations are intentional, a White Residence official explained. An OSHA penalty is generally $13,653 for just about every significant violation.

About the previous thirty day period, the Division of Labor received feedback on the rule from trade groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as well as executives from UPS, the Walt Disney Enterprise, Fidelity Investments and quite a few many others. They have voiced problems about charge, logistics and likely impact on employees.

Demanding vaccines or typical screening “could drastically diminish the labor pool, especially in some geographic spots and amongst some demographics in which vaccine hesitancy is widespread,” the Countrywide Retail Federation wrote to OSHA last thirty day period. “NRF associates, like employers across the financial state, are now battling to find staff.”

The January deadline lets shops and logistics firms, both equally of which are strapped for workers, to get by way of the vacation searching year just before instituting the requirements. The exact same deadline applies to federal contractors, who are subject matter to their very own stricter policies, and to wellbeing treatment staff covered by new emergency laws.

Companies that have currently mandated vaccines, which includes 3M, Procter & Gamble, IBM and the airlines American, Alaska and JetBlue, have not seen a massive variety of staff give up in excess of the stress to get inoculated, however a small minority of workers have given up their employment.

United Airways, a person of the to start with key air carriers to need shots for its 67,000 U.S. employees, mentioned in September that extra than 99 per cent of its personnel were vaccinated. Tyson Foodstuff, which established a Nov. 1 deadline, stated that additional than 96 p.c of employees were vaccinated, in contrast with significantly less than 50 p.c just before it declared its mandate in August.

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Zillow (Z) says it’s closing home-buying business, reports Q3 results

Zillow, the electronic serious estate organization, said on Tuesday that it can be exiting Delivers, its enterprise that purchases and flips properties, and removing 25{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} of its workforce.

The announcement was hooked up to Zillow’s 3rd-quarter earnings report. The firm’s revenue and earnings skipped analysts’ estimates.

“We’ve identified the unpredictability in forecasting household selling prices far exceeds what we expected,” Zillow CEO Prosperous Barton explained in the release. “Continuing to scale Zillow Provides would final result in much too substantially earnings and harmony-sheet volatility.”

The stock dropped about 7.5{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in extended trading following a 10{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} plunge for the duration of typical market place hours. The shares are now down about 10{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} for the yr as of Tuesday’s close.

Right here are the important numbers from earnings:

  • Earnings for every share: reduction of 95 cents adjusted vs. income of 16 cents for each share expected in a Refinitiv survey of analysts
  • Profits: $1.74 billion vs. $2.01 billion anticipated by Refinitiv

Income in Zillow’s Delivers organization, which competes with Opendoor, climbed to $1.17 billion in the quarter. That’s way up from $186 million a year previously, which was in the center of the pandemic and in a dry period of time for transactions. Nevertheless, the houses phase, which is primarily Offers, missing $422 million in the quarter, creating an general net loss at the corporation.

Shares of Opendoor rose 7{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in prolonged buying and selling. The inventory plunged alongside Zillow previously in the day, dropping 15{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} at the close.

Zillow released Delivers in December 2019, starting up with Southern California marketplaces. The iBuying, or immediate purchasing, product permitted householders to provide their home to Zillow for dollars, removing a lengthy bidding, product sales and closing method. They also failed to have to fear about costly repairs prior to placing their home on the market place.

“After closing on a property, Zillow will acquire treatment of vital repairs, functioning with regional contractors to comprehensive initiatives like a clean coat of paint, servicing HVAC models and other function a usual house owner would do to get their household completely ready for sale,” Zillow said in a push release at the time.

But the dwelling-flipping market place proved to be a drag for a enterprise that experienced crafted its manufacturer on listing houses across the nation and helping consumers and sellers link by way of a marketplace. Prior to shuttering the company, the business said on Monday that it would cease getting homes by way of the end of the year, citing restricted labor and supply marketplaces.

“We’re operating within just a labor- and source-constrained overall economy within a competitive authentic estate industry, specifically in the design, renovation and closing areas,” claimed Jeremy Wacksman, Zillow’s operating chief, in a statement this 7 days. “We have not been exempt from these market place and potential problems and we now have an operational backlog for renovations and closings.”

Barton explained to CNBC’s “Closing Bell” right after the report that Zillow’s top failure was its lack of ability to forecast housing price ranges precisely. At the start off of the Covid-19 pandemic, the marketplace dried up. It then bounced back again substantially, and charges in many marketplaces have climbed to history ranges.

For the household-flipping business to be worthwhile, a business has to be capable to market a dwelling for extra than the obtain price and have adequate margin remaining to deal with all the other fees, these as servicing and income and advertising and marketing expenditures. Barton mentioned the enterprise recognized that it really is not in a placement to correctly forecast in which household selling prices will be in 6 months “inside a narrow margin of error.”

Furthermore, Barton stated the Gives product reaches only a modest sliver of the company’s general viewers, which is successfully the full sector of homebuyers and sellers across the place.

Zillow’s net, media and engineering company grew profits 16{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in the quarter to $480 million, with gross income of just about $130 million.

“We just decided that remaining an iBuyer was as well risky, too unstable and eventually addressed also couple consumers,” Barton mentioned. He extra that, in closing the business enterprise, “the logic is clear, the emotion is challenging” mainly because of the layoffs.

Bloomberg claimed on Monday that Zillow was hunting to sell 7,000 properties for $2.8 billion to institutional investors, as it seemed to unload its portfolio of qualities. Some of these gross sales would be for underneath the order cost, Bloomberg mentioned.

Barton did not affirm or deny the quantities in the Bloomberg report. He told CNBC that the enterprise has constantly sold to these styles of consumers considering the fact that entering the market place, and he acknowledged that Zillow does have homes that it requirements to promote. The corporation acquired 3,805 houses in the second quarter and offered 2,086 in that time period.

“We are not in any form of fire sale,” he reported. “We are going to wind down the stock in an orderly way.”

Look at: Zillow misses on revenue

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Elizabeth Holmes is known for her voice. But nonverbal communication could be key at trial.

Without uttering a baritone-inflected term, former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is getting an influence on the ever-narrowing jury pool selecting her foreseeable future — and it is unlikely Holmes will speak in the courtroom, even although she is on the defense’s witness list, legal authorities say.

“Holmes will probable not testify,” explained NBC lawful analyst Danny Cevallos. “There’s just far too substantially chance. When she loses credibility, that’s it. And she’s executing a great deal much better sitting down there silently charming the jurors.”

Part of that silent ability basically arrives from the tableau presented by Holmes showing daily in the courtroom with her mother, husband, father-in-legislation and other relatives associates. She also has held fingers with her mom whilst strolling into court.

“Jurors see that,” stated Ellen Kreitzberg, a College of Santa Clara regulation professor who has been attending the Theranos demo. “It helps to humanize her and present her a story exterior of the a person associated to these rates.”

Developing an alternate possible narrative beside that of a corner-chopping and greedy CEO is vital for the defense in a circumstance in which the jury will be asked to decide whether the alleged fraud was intentional.

“You’re asking jurors to go into her head and request what her contemplating was. If you see her in this environment in the courtroom, figuring out her intent will become a lot more complicated,” Kreitzberg informed NBC News. “It gives the jury a thing to hold on to, and a little something the protection is carrying out quite proficiently.” 

Kreitzberg also believes Holmes won’t testify, earning any nonverbal communication from the failed blood-screening startup founder all the much more significant.

Holmes’ presence has currently had an influence on the jury, actively playing a job in the dismissal of one juror and leading to a instant of hesitation in advance of an alternate was sworn in.

The trial started out in September with 12 jurors and five alternates and is now down to just two alternates.

One juror was dismissed soon after serving a month, declaring that her Buddhist concepts of forgiveness would fill her with intractable guilt had been she to render a responsible verdict that sent Holmes to jail. 

“I hardly ever had a juror say everything like that in my everyday living,” Cevallos stated. “That’s unconventional.”

A different alternate juror was dismissed last week for playing Sudoku, which she mentioned prevented her from currently being “fidgety” and helped her aim.  

And a different alternate expressed worry that English was not her very first language and it could result in her to make a oversight. 

“She’s so young,” the alternate said of Holmes. “It’s my initially time in this scenario and it’s her long run.”

Authorized gurus were being astonished by the sympathetic emotions expressed by the juror towards Holmes and mentioned the dismissals are troubling at this stage in the proceedings.

“Having just two alternates, with the government only about fifty percent way by its case just after two months, indicates the genuine chance of a mistrial,” mentioned Mark MacDougall, a previous federal prosecutor now in personal practice.

Trial days are at this time scheduled via early December, in accordance to the judge’s calendar. Far more could be additional if the protection calls witnesses.

“Every jury will knowledge some attrition when a demo operates for this long. A couple of surprising health problems, loved ones emergencies or just episodes of weak judgment — and the courtroom will be faced with the prospect of losing a twelfth juror and the capability to get to a verdict,” MacDougall said.

The selection and mother nature of the dismissals are atypical, reported Jessica Roth, professor of law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo College of Legislation at Yeshiva University.

“This is an uncommon variety of jurors to get rid of at this stage of the trial.  The good reasons for getting rid of them also are uncommon at this stage of the proceedings,” Roth reported. “Jurors’ religious beliefs and financial hardship that would make it tough for them to serve ordinarily would be identified for the duration of jury collection. So it is shocking that these jurors ended up selected for the jury in the initially put.”

Witnesses have testified that Holmes has a one of a kind capacity to captivate consideration. Steve Burd, previous CEO of Safeway, which dropped close to $400 million in a collapsed deal with Theranos, stated through testimony past thirty day period that she had the ability to command a entire area, which he compared to that of U.S. presidents he had met. Holmes had a “sort of ethereal good quality,” former Secretary of Condition and Theranos board member Henry Kissinger informed The New Yorker in 2014.

Ex-workers and journalists who have interviewed Holmes have documented her routine of earning unblinking eye get in touch with. As a teenager, Steve Positions, the Apple CEO just after whom Holmes modeled herself, perfected the behavior of staring at individuals with no blinking in order to intimidate them, in accordance to Jobs’ biographer, Walter Isaacson. All through jury variety in late August, Holmes attempted to make eye make contact with with each individual potential juror, CNBC reported.

In the courtroom itself, Holmes sits upright and stays however, listening attentively, almost never talking to her legal professionals or taking notes, Kreitzberg explained.

“She is obviously a quite persuasive particular person,” Kreitzberg said, noting the link and concern expressed by investors these as previous Secretary of Protection James Mattis, even after their enterprise relationships did not dwell up to their promises.

But, she stated, “that magnetic existence is not coming by in the courtroom the place she is distanced, not speaking, and she’s masked. She does not doesn’t have the similar power.”

Industry experts say that although in her taken out, masked and muted point out, Holmes is performing her position and showing as a product defendant.

“Your greatest hope as a protection legal professional is that your customer sits there and tries to not seem responsible. In Holmes’ scenario she’s succeeded past her lawyers’ wildest desires,” Cevallos reported. “In a way we shouldn’t be surprised, for the reason that this is the exact same human being who allegedly charmed some of the most influential men and women in the planet.”

Holmes has even produced her individual fanbase. Contacting by themselves “Holmies,” they defend the disgraced CEO on social media beneath the hashtag #GirlBoss. At the get started of the trial, 3 youthful female dressed in black and sporting messy blond hair like Holmes stood in line, expressing they ended up “fans.”

In accordance to the government’s indictment, Holmes is accused of defrauding investors and individuals by misrepresenting Theranos’ blood-testing know-how.

Holmes and her previous boyfriend and former Theranos COO Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani confront 12 counts associated to wire fraud. If found guilty, each could encounter up to 20 a long time in prison.

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West Hartford Business Buzz: November 1, 2021 – We-Ha

A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses.

By Ronni Newton

I’m writing this on Sunday, hoping I’m going to get interrupted by some cute (or scary) costumed kids ringing my bell!

Until I saw my Facebook memory from 2020, I had forgotten that last year on Halloween it had snowed, and also that we stood on our front stoop, wearing masks, dropping candy down a chute we had created every time a trick-or-treater approached. I’m glad things are a bit more back to normal – and very glad there isn’t any snow on the ground!

Thanks to the sports fans in the community who have helped supplement the great coverage that Paul Palmer has been providing of the Conard and Hall teams – which this week includes the Hall vs. Conard swim meet and Hall girls soccer. We’ve also been able to have a story about Conard boys soccer, and the 7-0 Hall football team thanks to contributors. There are a number of Conard vs. Hall contests coming up this week, so look for those stories!

My initial COVID-19 vaccine was a J&J shot, which makes me eligible for a booster – which I got on Friday afternoon. I received the Moderna booster, and was very glad I didn’t get the major side effects that so many people I know got from their initial Moderna shots. My arm is still a bit sore, and I had a headache Saturday morning and some slight achiness, but even if I had felt awful I would think it was a very small price to pay for the extra boost to my immune system.

For more information about vaccination clinics that are being organized by the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District, and a guideline for who is eligible for boosters, click here.

Spicy hummus from Zaytoon’s Bistro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Lamb Tomato Qalayeh from Zaytoon’s Bistro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Lamb Mushroom from Zaytoon’s Bistro. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

I’m looking ahead to a busy start of the week with Election Day. I put together a complete guide, with information about polling places, last minute absentee ballot voting and Election Day registration, and links to all of the candidate profiles that you can find here. And tune in to WHCi (via cable, YouTube, or Facebook Live on the We-Ha.com page) on Tuesday night when John Lyons and Sandy Holland will be in studio and I will be bringing you up-to-date coverage, along with the team of Rocky Holland and Pat Kazakoff, at party headquarters. We did a tech run last week and are ready to go!

Tech run for Election Day coverage at Ocho Cafe.

We’ve gotten a ton of letters to the editor supporting various candidates (the deadline for submitting them was last Friday), and if you want to easily find them all just click this link.

And speaking of elections, I was very excited to learn earlier this week that We-Ha.com has been named among the “Top 15 Connecticut Politics Blogs and News Websites” by Feedspot. We are in some very esteemed company!

Please continue to support our local businesses, wear your masks indoors if you are not vaccinated – and stay safe and healthy.

If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

**************************************************

Here’s this week’s Buzz:

Crowe Accounting has moved into the former Burgess office space at 62 Memorial Rd. in Blue Back Square. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  • We don’t often hear about large-scale new offices moving into West Hartford, but it’s great news that Crowe, an accounting, consulting, and technology firm, has moved into West Hartford (from Simsbury, where they have been since 2015), taking over the roughly 8,000 square foot space in Blue Back Square at 62 Memorial Rd. (above The Place 2 Be) formerly occupied by Burgess Group. “Crowe Hartford personnel provide a range of services to clients that include property and casualty insurance carriers, captive insurance companies, various healthcare entities, and employee benefit plan clients,” the website states. The company has more than 4,000 employees in offices throughout the world, and West Hartford is their only Connecticut location. While not everyone may be physically back in the office full-time yet, there are 65 employees working out of the West Hartford space, according to West Hartford Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski. “In a nationally slow office market, this is a really good relocation to town,” she said. The company is very forward-thinking, Gorski said, and “will be a great addition to the West Hartford community.” The “Crowe” sign is now in place in that prominent location at the corner of Memorial Road and Raymond Road, replacing the former Burgess sign. Burgess, a medical billing firm, was acquired by Blackstone Group in 2020, according to the Hartford Business Journal.

Children enjoy the soft playground equipment from Waddle & Climb. Courtesy photo

  • West Hartford resident Devin Shea is “moving full speed ahead” to focus on the business she recently launched. Waddle & Climb provides soft playground equipment for rent, and Shea, a former director of marketing and event and wedding planner, started the company after realizing a need when she was trying to plan a 1st birthday party last year for her daughter amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “We wanted to celebrate with our pod, but didn’t want to go anywhere,” she said. That’s when she started looking into renting equipment. “There was nothing. Everything was catered to bigger kids.” She bought a few items for her own yard and playroom that would be appropriate for kids from the crawling age through 5-year-olds, saw how engaged her daughter was, and that led to the launch of the Waddle & Climb business. “We go to any event – birthday, bridal, corporate events, fairs,” she said, anywhere there is a need for babies, toddlers, and other young children to have a safe place to play. The pandemic has really been really tough for parents of young children to make connections with others, and Shea said she’s very grateful to have found the Moms & More Club of West Hartford. “They have been so welcoming and supporting. Everyone has been truly wonderful,” Shea said. Club member Bobbi Castiglione has graciously offered to host a Moms & More event featuring Waddle & Climb at the business she owns with her husband, Eric, Viking Athletics in West Hartford. Events over the summer have been primarily outdoors, but as the weather is cooling, Shea is gearing up for more indoor events, and also has a new neutral palette package that will soon be available. She said after use she cleans everything “above and beyond” the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Safety is our no. 1 priority,” she said. For more information about Waddle & Climb, visit their website or Facebook page. The photos were so cute that more can be found at the end of the column!

Children enjoy the soft playground equipment from Waddle & Climb. Courtesy photo

  • West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square businesses are gearing up for their annual “We Care Card” giving event where participants can “SHOP, DINE, STROLL and GIVE.” The We Care Card, now in its fourth year, will be available from Nov. 4-14. Donations start at $50 – all of which benefit Harc, an organization which supports individuals of all ages who have intellectual and related disabilities and their families so that they may enjoy lives of quality, inclusion, and dignity. We Care Card supporters also get up to 20{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} off at all participating businesses for the entire duration of the event. Ken Cabral, president and CEO of Harc, hopes this is the start of a long partnership. “Harc is honored to be selected as the nonprofit to receive the proceeds from the We Care Card program. We are excited to further our connection with the businesses and shoppers of West Hartford beyond our LaSalle Road social enterprise, SockStarz. With this extended reach, we hope to educate a broader audience on Harc’s mission, and how we support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” Kimberly Moster of Kimberly Boutique said, “This is a great way for all of us to give back. Everyone feels good about supporting Harc, and then to get 20{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} off for 10 days in The Center – it’s a win-win!” We Care Cards are available for purchase starting Nov. 4 at SockStarz (18 LaSalle Rd.) and other participating locations – or you can text-to-purchase by texting WeCareCard to 41444. For any further information please contact Kimberly Moster of the West Hartford Center Business Association at 860-523-4894. See the poster below for more details!

  • Bluemoon Smoke Shop will soon be opening in the former Sprint store at 39 South Main St. The sign is now on the building and the business, based in the Boston area, “is very excited to join the West Hartford community,” West Hartford Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski said.

The sign is now up, and Bluemoon Smoke Shop will soon be opening in the former Sprint store space on South Main Street. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  • Ivy Rehab, a physical and occupational therapy business, has leased the final remaining vacant space in the Corbin Collection building where Shake Shack is located. They will be opening in the end space (closest to REI), next to Tavern in the Square, which is next to Hot Table – which we reported in this column last week is preparing to open at by the end of this year. Ivy Rehab has six other locations in Connecticut, with the closest in Southington. More information can be found on their website.

0 Degree Thai Ice Cream will be opening at 276 Park Rd. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  • The sign is now in place, and 0 Degree Thai Ice Cream has applied for additional permits and continues work on the build-out of the space at 276 Park Rd. No word on an opening date.

AJ Shoham of Jerry’s Artarama helps unveil the Elmwood Business Association’s bear. It was painted by muralist Corey Pane, whose mother (at left) also assisted in the unveiling. West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square. Aug. 31, 2021. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

Jessica Rosenworcel (we-ha.com file photo)

  • Congratulations to West Hartford native and Hall High School graduate Jessica Rosenworcel. In January she was named acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, and last week she was officially nominated by President Joe Biden to chair the FCC. “Jessica Rosenworcel is a star – supremely expert and experienced, steadfast and committed as an advocate for consumers and competitors,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who along with 24 of his Senate colleagues urged the president to nominate her for a full term as chair, said in a statement. “Having worked with her over many years, I know first-hand her energetic dedication to cracking down on robocalls and other abuses, and expanding broadband access. She knows better than anyone else the vital role the Commission plays in protecting consumers and closing the digital divide by connecting Americans to essential services. I am especially proud of her deep Connecticut roots as a native of West Hartford and graduate of Wesleyan University. I look forward to working with soon-to-be Chair Rosenworcel as she continues her bold leadership of the FCC.”
  • Hartford Baking Company, which has its roots in West Hartford, is getting set to open their new location in the next week or so in Farmington, in the former Truffles space on Route 4 (767 Farmington Ave.). Follow their Facebook page for the announcement of the opening date.
  • We don’t typically post open jobs, but this one is for a position that will be closely connected to this column! The Town of West Hartford is hiring a part-time economic development specialist to work under the direction of Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski. Details about the job can be found here.
  • ICYMI, Celebrate! West Hartford will be making a full return in June 2022, and newly-opened PeoplesBank has signed on as presenting sponsor. Click here for the details.

Remember, if you have any business news to share, add it in the comments section below or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

Children enjoy the soft playground equipment from Waddle & Climb. Courtesy photo

Children enjoy the soft playground equipment from Waddle & Climb. Courtesy photo

Soft playground equipment from Waddle & Climb. Courtesy photo

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