mation!, By Rebecca Gold Rubin Can I Get Refunded for My Wedding Rental?, By Christopher Elliott

FEATURED COLUMNIST Can I Get Refunded for My Wedding Rental?

By Christopher Elliott

The COVID-19 outbreak cancels Mike Feehrer’s wedding. But Relics Rental, a wedding rental business, wants to keep the $3,534 he paid. Can it do that? •••

Ineed your help getting a refund of $3,534 from Relics Rentals, a wedding rental business. The State of Illinois closed all restaurants and bars last March. Our wedding, which was scheduled for March 28, was canceled. We still got married, but just with a priest and no reception.

I called Relic Rentals, but it would not provide a refund. A representative offered a $3,534 credit for that amount to be used over the next year or a refund of our deposit, which is about 50 percent of the total amount.

I explained that I would not have an occasion to use the credit. The representative said the business had “damages and costs” associated with providing the services. My fiancé, Amy, spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Relic Rentals.

The representative also claimed other wedding vendor companies were not giving refunds. That’s not true. All our vendors, including our caterer, florist and hotel, have all issued full refunds.

I propose a full refund, less $250, to compensate the company for the time. I think that’s a fair solution. But when I call the company, it just goes to voicemail. Can you help me?

— Mike Feehrer, Plainfield, Ill. •••

I’m sorry about your canceled wedding. In a situation like this, I believe the business should offer either a credit or a full refund. And you’ve already tied the knot, so it’s not like you’re going to have a big ceremony anytime soon.

As I read the correspondence between you and Relic Rentals, I could see both sides. You’re trying to keep your money during a challenging economy. Relic wants to protect its business.

We’ve seen this countless times in the last year. A company tries to hold its customers to original agreements even in the face of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. And it doesn’t always end well.

I should note that Relic Rentals was accommodating when it offered to refund your deposit or give you a one-year credit. Its normal policy is no refunds or credits, according to its website. And you agreed to that policy when you paid your deposit.

As a reader, I sympathize with Relic and wish it the best of luck in getting through the pandemic. But as a consumer advocate, I believe its refund policy is, well — a relic.

I contacted the company on your behalf. Jan Oelke, the owner, responded.

“While current events have obviously required dramatic alteration to long-developed plans for weddings and events, those engagements and clients have been the recipients of time, work and resources to date,” she told me. “It is the policy of Relics Rentals to work with the client in rescheduling or postponing their rental reservation. However, simply canceling an event and refusing to reschedule or postpone is not a requirement of the current environment and it does fall under the cancellation portion of our standard policy as outlined in our contract.”

Oelke said the company offered other clients a credit for future rentals and services, valid 365 days from their original event date. She offered you two options: Either a credit or a 50 percent refund of the total rental reservation.

You filed a credit card dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act, but your bank sided with the merchant. You received a $1,767 refund from Relics Rentals. n •••

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy. Email him at chris@ elliott.org or get help with any consumer problem by contacting him at http://www.elliott.org/help

“Denim Day” from page 23

Actions you can take to address sexual assault: • April 28: Denim Day at https://bit. • Promote social norms that protect ly/31uN23r Virtual rally on YouTube. against sexual violence -- end “rape

Connect with the culture,” stop blaming the victim, halt online movement harassment at work. See unwomen. to end sexual org violence. • Be an active bystander when you see a • April 29: Pro- potentially violent situation tecting Kids from • Create a culture of consent in your

Sexual Abuse home and social circles

Without Scaring • Use social media to raise awareness

Them at https:// bit.ly/3tzutXR Jackson Katz • among peers Listen to and validate survivors of

Presented by Santa Cruz Commission trauma n for Prevention of Violence Against

Women, Kidpower and Monarch Services. 6-7 p.m.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. Preventing sexual assault requires the collective voice and power of individuals, families and institutions. ••• Monarch Services has a 43-year history of providing advocacy and resources to community members in Santa Cruz County affected by violence. Services include court accompaniments, restraining order assistance, counseling, emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis line, outreach, education and support groups. Monarch Services is the only rape crisis and human trafficking center in Santa Cruz County and includes an emergency response team. All services are available in Spanish and English and are free or low cost. For information, call (831) 722-4532 or (831) 425-4030 or visit http://www.monarchscc.org/ The 24-hour Bilingual Crisis Line is 1(888) 900-4232.

Learn more about Jackson Katz at https:// www.jacksonkatz.com/

JOB BOARD ONLINE The Santa Cruz job market is picking up steam. Startups to established enterprises have open positions across countless work areas and industries. Software engineers, recruiters and more are all in high demand. As the local economy regains momentum, there are increasing opportunities for new hires.

Joby Aviation has more than 100 open roles! ProductOps, Amazon, Blix, Santa Cruz Bikes, Zero Motorcycles and many more are looking for their next top hires.

Every week Santa Cruz Works features a fresh catch of new jobs in at https://www.santacruzworks.org/jobs where employers and job-hunters can post for free. Details: https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/companieshiring-in-santa-cruz-and-beyond

OPEN STUDIOS APPLICATION DEADLINE Friday, April 30, Midnight Arts Council Santa Cruz County is making plans for the 2021 Open Studios Art Tour following guidelines for health and safety. The dates are: South County Oct 2-3, North County Oct 9-10, and all county Oct 16-17.

All Santa Cruz County visual artists over age 18 are invited to apply to be a part of this event where local artists invite the public to experience art at the source. The deadline to apply is midnight, April 30. Open Studios & Events Director Ann Ostermann will host drop-in sessions via Zoom on March 23, April 3 and April 15 to assist artists in applying. For details, guidelines and FAQ, see https://santacruzopenstudios.com/

BUSINESS CLASSES ONLINE March and April Gavilan College and El Pajaro Community Development Corp. are partnering to offer free online business classes in Spanish. The class is open to Santa Cruz County residents.

The classes are 10-week training sessions that include business planning and 10 hours with a business advisor and will be from 9-11:50 a.m. Saturdays. If interested, you can enroll in: Entrepreneurship (BUS 700 40840), March 13- April 17, 2021, or Small Business Ownership (BUS 701 40841), April 24-May 22. For information, call Gavilan College Continuing Education at (408) 465-9520 or call El Pajaro Community Development Corporation at (831) 722-1224.

GARDENERS CLUB The Gardeners’ Club is looking for people who share their love of plants and want to know more about gardening.

The website is at http://www.thegardenersclub.org/ and there is a monthly newsletter.

Dues are $15 per calendar year. For information call Cherry at 831-475-0991. Make check to “The Gardeners’ Club” and mail to P.O. Box 3025, Ben Lomond, CA 95005. Meetings, when they are allowed, are at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Aptos Grange, 2555 Mar Vista Drive, Aptos.

Have a virtual or live event you want to promote? Send your information to info@cyber-times.com by April 9

need an internet connection and a computer, tablet or smartphone. To participate, view the calendar at https://communitybridges.org/ SCWOL/ and find a class. That day and time, click on the link in the calendar to be connected. If you have a problem connecting, call Clara Munoz at (831) 458-3481.

RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES March is Red Cross Month, and the Red Cross is thanking donors for stepping up to meet the constant need for blood amid the pandemic. All who come to give March 15-26 will receive a Red Cross T-shirt while supplies last.

All blood types are needed, especially Type O. Donors must be 17 and weigh at least 110 pounds.

To make an appointment, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Dates:

April 4: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 220 Elk St., Santa Cruz.

April 3: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St., Watsonville.

April 8: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley, 85 Nielson St., Watsonville.

PARENT SUPPORT GROUP PVUSD, PVPSA and Kaiser Permanente offers support groups for Pajaro Valley families at 3 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month. The next dates are:

April 29, May 20 and June 3. To register, email marisol.maciel@pvpsa.org

SECOND HARVEST FOOD DISTRIBUTION Second Harvest Food Bank drive-through food distribution schedule:

Watsonville: Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds

Fridays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 2 • April 16 • April 30

Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Fridays, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. April 9 • April 23 Food hotline: 831-662-0991.

ITALIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES Learn the language of “la dolce vita” with native Italian-speaking instructors. Whether you are new to the Italian language, totally fluent, or everything in between, the classes the Dante Alighieri Society of Santa Cruz is offering for spring-summer 2021 are for you.

The online 10-week session begins the week of April 19, so register now to secure your spot and take advantage of the early bird discount which ends April 1. See: https://www.dantesantacruz.com/services Questions? Email: dantesantacruz1265@gmail.com

CAREER MONTH AT CABRILLO Four free job fairs are available for current students at Cabrillo College in the month of April. The fairs take place from 3-5 p.m. four Thurs. starting April 8. Registration is required.

April 8 — global & human studies

April 15 — entrepreneur, business & creative

April 22 — health & public safety

April 29 — science tech engineering math

There are also four resume workshops on April 6, 12, 19 and 27 and four career coaching classes on April 7, 16, 20 and 26. Students can register and employers can post jobs at https:// www.cabrillo.edu/career-services/ CALL FOR ARTISTS: 15TH ANNUAL PVA SCULPTURE EXHIBITION Deadline to Apply is Monday May 3 Curators Susana Arias and Hedwig Heerschop of Pajaro Valley Arts & Jeff Rosendale of Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens invite your participation in the 15th annual Pajaro Valley Arts sculpture exhibition, taking place in the beautiful two-acre Sierra Azul Nursery demonstration gardens, 2660 East Lake Ave., Watsonville. Submit online to Hedwig@pvarts.org.

The show will be June 1 through Oct. 31 outdoors and pieces submitted must be weatherproof (to be insured), and of a scale suitable for outdoor display. Summer coastal weather includes sunshine, fog, wind and rain.

Sculptures larger than 30” is encouraged. Pieces with bold negative and positive elements and pieces 5 to 6 feet tall show best in the garden.

There is a $30 participation fee for artists selected and sales are subject to a commission, 30% for PVA members, 45% for non-members. Questions: 831-722-3062.

ONGOING EVENTS

First and Third Monday Each Month SENIOR LIFE ONLINE 4 p.m., Online Meeting Join a local group of senior citizens for “Senior Life Online,” a free online (Zoom) program featuring a presentation by a local expert. Senior Life Online meets on the first and third Monday of each month at 4 p.m. View the schedule at http://scottsvalleyseniorlife.org/ current-activities/.

Recent presentations included talks about preventative care for dogs and cats, an update from the Scotts Valley Water District, goal setting, trusts and estate planning, COVID-19, genealogy, Scotts Valley history and Santa Cruz history.

To participate, you need an Internet connection and a computer, tablet or smartphone. A one-time preregistration is required at https://tinyurl.com/SVSLA-5. Questions? Call George at (831) 334-7763. Senior Life Online is sponsored by Scotts Valley Senior Life Association (SVSLA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to promote healthy living for senior citizens. Information is at http://scottsvalleyseniorlife.org.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday NAMI RECOVERY SUPPORT 1-2:30 p.m., confidential Zoom meetings. National Alliance on Mental Illness Santa Cruz County offers the “Connection Recovery Support Group,” a free, peer-led support group for any adult 18 or older who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition (no diagnosis required).

You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others. Groups are led by trained leaders who’ve been there. It’s confidential and drop-in friendly.

To attend, complete the registration form. You will immediately get an email with the Zoom link. You will need to do this only once, and will be able to use the same link for all groups in the future. Register at: https:// tinyurl.com/nami-zoom-register (Full URL: https:// zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMld-6trTgjEtOukidbv3qCQQTitZ92kXFf)

If you are unable to register, do not have an email address, or have other questions, call the office at (831)824-0406 or email anastasia@namiscc.org. Third Thursday of the Month PET LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT VIA ZOOM 6 to 7:30 p.m., virtual meeting BirchBark Foundation’s Pet Loss and Grief Support Zoom group offers a free support group, moderated by a licensed grief counseling therapist, on the third Thursday of each month. Register at https://www.birchbarkfoundation.org/griefsupport or call 831-471-7255. Fourth Thursday of the Month First Sunday Every Month MONTHLY OUTDOOR MARKETPLACE IN SANTA CRUZ! 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Old Wrigley Building Parking Lot, 2801 Mission Street, Santa Cruz 95060 The Westside Marketplace is an exciting, new monthly market where local art, handmade and vintage shopping meet delicious food! This collaboration between Food Trucks A Go Go and the SCM Makers Market presents a great mix of creators of all kinds! There is also live music at each event!

The upcoming outdoor market is on Sunday, April 4 at the Old Wrigley Building parking lot. Rain dates are scheduled for the following Sundays.

Come hungry to sample an amazing array of food from the food vendors and shop local with 40 artists, makers and vintage sellers at this new monthly event.

The Market is free to attend and is 100% local — all vendors are based in Santa Cruz County!

All local and state health guidelines will be followed. Please wear your mask, maintain social distance while you shop and stay home if you don’t feel well. Hand sanitizing stations will be available. For more information, go to the event page: https://www. facebook.com/events/170470481551895; Food Trucks A Go Go: https://www.foodtrucksagogo.com/; or SCM Makers Market https://scmmakersmarket.com/ for a list of all of the vendors.

DATED EVENTS

Thursday April 1

EASTER COOKING DEMO 4 – 4:30 p.m., Chef Brandon Miller, Zoom Class Chef Brandon Miller will offer Easter cooking tips and tricks via Zoom. It’s free and open to everyone. One viewer will win Easter dessert from The Chef’s Stash in Carmel.

Miller will show how to make a Bread Pudding with day-old pastries such as croissants, crumpets, and Danishes, a dessert using less sugar that he showcased at Mundaka. Then he’ll show how to make a French Tart Brandon Miller Dough recipe (no rolling the dough) made famous by chef David Lebovitz. The trick is putting butter and water in a bowl in the oven, heating it up and adding flour.

He’ll share his secret for stocks and soups, a “contained bouquet garni,” in which he takes a leek, rolls out the outer leaf, then packs it full of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, then ties up the whole package and puts it in the stock. After the stock is infused with flavor from the herbs, just take the leek and toss it. To view, go to https://zoom.us/j/92172302792 with meeting ID: 921 7230 2792.

FARMWORKER JUSTICE 6 p.m., Democratic Club of N. Santa Cruz County Online The Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County will meet via Zoom and hear Elizabeth Strater, director of strategic campaigns at United Farm Workers, discuss her work to protect the health and safety of farmworkers and to advocate for a safe and just food supply. She’ll discuss digital

Elizabeth Strater campaigns and how people can support justice for farmworkers. Members of the public are invited. Visit www.svslvdemocrats.org for Zoom link. Social time is 6 p.m.; the meeting officially starts at 6:30 p.m.

WALLACE STEGNER LECTURES*: JOSÉ ANDRÉS 7 p.m., Online Lecture Chef, restaurateur and humanitarian José Andrés will appear in conversation with Bay Area food personality Jesse Ziff Cool to discuss his work as founder of World Central Kitchen, helping to feed those in need throughout the course of the pandemic.

Andrés is a Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning Spanish-American chef, as José Andrés well as the author of three cookbooks and the New York Times best-selling We Fed an Island, which describes how Andrés and his team cooked for thousands of hungry people in Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. Andrés advocates for sustainability in the restaurant industry. https://openspacetrust.org/wsl-2021/ ••• *Cost for the Wallace Stegner Lecture Series is $30. The price gives you access to four lectures, plus the ability to watch recordings until April 30. This includes January’s Dolores Huerta & Luis Valdez and April’s José Andrés ectures.

Wednesday April 7

NEW TECH MEETUP 7-8:30 p.m. Santa Cruz Works Online There is no better place to see what is going on in SC Tech than at the Santa Cruz Works New Tech Meetup.

Santa Cruz Works produces as many as 5 events every month — including the Santa Cruz New Tech “meetup” — to learn about new tools and practices or to ignite your entrepreneurial flame and clinics where you can learn new skills. Visit www.santacruzworks.org for more details.

TAKE AWAYS — ART TO GO Appointment Only, 37 Sudden St., Watsonville Pajaro Valley Arts invites you to a fundraising exhibit, Take Aways: Art to Go! This is an invitational exhibit featuring 76 local artists from Santa Cruz County.

Works includes sculpture, drawing, ceramics, fiber, mixed media, encaustic (wax), printmaking, photography, glasswork, and are priced to fit many budgets.

Curators are Jane Gregorius and Chris Miroyan.

WEAR A MASK POSTER DESIGN CONTEST DEADLINE

Wednesday April 7

Over the past year, we have all learned to live with COVID-19. For most of us, this has meant wearing a mask as a method of protecting ourselves and others. We wear masks because we value our family members, doctors, nurses, essential workers and many others in our community.

Pajaro Valley Arts invites you to design a poster that tells your story. All members of the community are invited to participate. There is no entry fee. Images of your poster will be placed in the pvarts.org online gallery. Two $50 gift certificates to Kelly’s Books in Watsonville will be awarded, one each in the youth and adult categories.

The poster can be a drawing, painting, photograph or collage. Photograph your poster using a jpeg file format. Email entry form and jpeg of poster to Hedwig@pvarts.org by April 7.

Red Dot Tumblers • by Peter Vizzusi

Gallery Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment only. To request an appointment for you and/or your group (no more than 10) visit: pvarts.org/appointment/

Saturday April 10

PROPERTY TAX DEADLINE 5 p.m. The second installment of your tax bill is due Feb. 1 and becomes delinquent after 5 p.m. with penalties if not received by the Santa Cruz County Tax Collector by that date and time. Drop boxes for checks are available at the county Governmental Center, 701 Ocean St., Santa Cruz.

Sunday April 11

wildland firefighting during this hands-on field training in Davenport.

Training will cover fireline construction, communications, prescribed fire ignitions, operation of a firefighting pump, installation of a hose-lay and more.

You will be prepared to participate in local cooperative burns hosted by the new Central Coast Prescribed Burn Association (calpba.org). If you do not have wildfire or prescribed fire experience, the one-day workshop will be a prerequisite for participation in future CCPBA burns so don’t miss out.

The training can certify you as a Basic Wildland Firefighter 2, with pre-completion of online coursework plus an “arduous pack-test” prior to attending the in-person field day if you are interested. Cost: $20 with scholarships available upon request. Space is limited. Full Details and Registration at: https://ucanr.edu/survey/ survey.cfm?surveynumber=33128. For questions email Jared Childress (childress.ember@gmail. com) or Devii Rao (drorao@ucanr.edu). n

Wednesday April 14

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF LINKEDIN 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., Santa Cruz Works Online Social media coach Karen Kefauver will talk about how to make the most of the business network LinkedIn. Free if you give your contact information to the Santa Cruz Small Business Development Center. RSVP at www.santacruzworks.org PVA POETRY READING 6:30-8:30 p.m., Pajaro Valley Arts Zoom. Pajaro Valley Arts Presents a free poetry reading, “Pandemic Take Aways,” featuring Alex Rocha, Gabriel J. Medina and Claudia Meléndez

Zoom link: https://cccconfer. Alex Rocha zoom.us/j/91026783529

Meeting ID: 910 2678 3529 Contact: Shirley Flores-Munoz, shflores@cabrillo.edu

Tuesday April 20

VEGAN COOKING DEMO 4-5 p.m., Zoom Class Join Café Carmel chef Sarah Cook for a virtual cooking demo spotlighting a vegan dish 4-5 p.m. Tuesday, April 20. The demo is free and open to everyone. To join Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/92835341968?pwd= RXdpcG9PcUJIRnVUa2psZjFLMlFjUT09

Meeting ID: 928 3534 1968

Passcode: 495514

Monday April 22

OCEAN RECORD-KEEPING TALK 6-7 p.m., Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Zoom Session Must register by 5 p.m. to receive link. On April 22, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History welcomes Dr. Emily Miller from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Attendees must register at https:// www.pgmuseum.org/event-calendar

A research technician, Miller will present a talk titled “Marine Algae as Ocean Record Keepers.” She will cover how her team used older algae specimens to extend the Bakun upwelling index back to 1878, 70 years before monitoring of upwelling began in Monterey Bay.

Her goal is to document patterns to help understand the shifts in the foundation of the food web to make more informed conservation decisions in the future of Monterey Bay. Until now, this process has been largely limited to instrument records and observations that begin around 1950. The talk is free, but the suggested donation is $15 per person.

Saturday April 24

DUCKY DERBY 2 p.m., Online Fundraiser This fundraiser for Omega Nu’s scholarship program will be a virtual event at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 24. Info: http://www.duckyderbysantacruz.org/#duckyderby

Thursday May 6

REGIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT 9:30 a.m. to Noon, Online Event The Monterey Bay Economic Partnership’s 7th Annual Regional Economic Summit will take place online.

This virtual event will explore how our region is doing economically and opportunities to reimagine our region while taking advantage of relief and stimulus funds, plus new ways to help workers upskill and reskill.

Dee Dee Myers, senior advisor to the Gov. Newsome and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), will share what the state is doing to keep companies in California, insights into the current legislative session, implications for our region, and how the budget surplus is being used to provide relief to businesses affected by the pandemic. Register at https://tinyurl.com/MBE-dee-deemyers (full URL: https://mbep.biz/events/ save-the-date-7th-annual-regional-economic-summit/?mc_ cid=629c9a71e4&mc_eid=66244ddae7) n