Erin Kelly-Allshouse Capitola Self Storage: Your Concierge, By Edita McQuary

BUSINESS PROFILE Ca itola Self Storage Your Concierge

By Edita McQuary

22 / March 2020 / Capitola Soquel Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com S elf-storage is not a new concept. People have been storing things as far back as 2000 years ago,” says Joshua Nathan, manager of Capitola Self Storage. “Self-storage as we know it now really started taking off in the 1970s and is a business that has grown every year since. There’s more people with more stuff.”

According to Google, there are more than 48,500 storage units in the U.S.A; that’s over five square feet of storage for every person in the country! Nine percent of households use storage and it keeps growing.

“There are people who suddenly inherit antiques, furniture and china from parents or grandparents. These days, the kids aren’t interested in old-fashioned stuff so what do you do with it?” Nathan adds. He explained other scenarios such as people simply not having room to store additional items, or they may have downsized into a smaller dwelling. There may have been a divorce, job relocation or even an eviction necessitating storage of belongings.

“The mix of people and the reasons for storing are all over the map,” Nathan says. He has been the manager of Capitola Self Storage since 2012. There are usually three full-time employees. The business is owned entirely by local shareholders, and it is reflected in how they do business.

It is not just a storage facility but also strives to be a community resource. The Capitola Museum stores their precious his torical antiques and photographs. There’s even an antique popcorn machine in the office!

The facility is climate-controlled and has low humidity so your items remain in the same condition as when they were originally stored. As you walk down the main corridor, historical photographs of Capitola from the 1800s and 1900s are displayed on the walls. Street signs displaying names of Capitola streets hanging along each row are a whimsical touch that allows for easy navigation to your storage unit.

They have a collection of old Begonia Festival posters and hope to soon display all 65 years of the posters. They have sponsored the Sand Castle Contest of the Begonia Festival and have supported many local charities through the years discounting or donating space to worthy local causes.

A three-section community bulletin board hangs on the wall in the main corridor for tenants’ use. They can put photos of their pets in one section, advertise their businesses in the middle one and post community events in the last section. It’s a great way to connect with the community and to find local professionals.

The staff is always happy to recommend local places, and discuss local events. We like to think of ourselves as “the concierge of Capitola,” said Nathan. “We know most of our customers by name.”

Capitola Self Storage just renewed its Monterey Bay Area Green Business Certification.

“The building is constructed entirely of metal and, of course, has sprinkler systems in each unit in the unlikely event a tenant’s belongings start a fire. We are converting the facility to LED lighting, we use only green cleaning supplies, even our toilet paper is made from recycled paper,” according to Nathan.

Each storage unit is individually alarmed, digital cameras and motionsensitive lights all contribute to a safe and secure environment.

“We have not had a break-in in over nine years, and even local law enforcement tell us we have the safest and most secure storage facility in Santa Cruz. In fact, several Capitola Police officers have rented storage units over the years, and the Capitola Police Department has been provided with a 24-hour access code in the event they are ever needed inside the building,” says Nathan.

They log every alarm, and keep access records for the tenants. They can always print a report showing every time a tenant’s unit is opened, if their code was entered, or if there is an alarm event. The staff is vigilant; they want their guests to feel that their belongings are safe here.

They are very strict with their rules,

which are posted in the office and on the corkboards. Access hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the spaces are only for storage. You will not see people taking naps, or have to listen to band practice!

According to Nathan, the most popular storage space sizes are 10’ x 10’ and 10’ x 15’ and there is a waiting list for these units. You can reserve a unit or make an appointment on their very efficient and easy-to-use website. The website also has packing and storage tips with unit visualization. You can actually see how much a certain size unit will hold.

The office sells packing supplies and boxes of all kinds, and high security disk locks for storage, of course.

So if you are thinking of de-cluttering or improving your home and want to keep your important items safe, give Josh and his staff a call, or just come on by Capitola Self Storage. They will do an excellent job for you! n

••• Capitola Self Storage is located at 809 Bay Ave., Suite H, in Capitola, south of Nob Hill Market. Telephone: (831) 465-0600. Gate hours of operation are: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 7 days a week. Office hours are Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

www.capitolaselfstorage.com

On Feb. 11, the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the current outbreak of coronavirus disease, COVID-19.

Santa Cruz County Public Health officials are closely working with California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Bay Area health officials to monitor COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. To date, there are no cases reported in Santa Cruz County.

As of Feb 21, 17 cases have been confirmed in the United States in California, Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. 10 cases have been identified in California. All were people who traveled from Wuhan, China. Chinese health officials have reported thousands of cases in China with severe illness, including over a hundred deaths.

The CDC is monitoring for illness among travelers arriving from China at 20 U.S airports and recommends travelers avoid all nonessential travel to China.

“We are monitoring the situation closely to protect the health of Santa Cruz County residents and limit the spread of this virus,” said Dr. Gail Newel, Santa Cruz

A COVID-19 molecule.

County health officer. “The potential for a disease outbreak is always a public health concern. We are working with health care providers and community partners to review emergency procedures and we are prepared to take action should someone in our county becomes ill with this new virus.”

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses common among animals and humans. COVID-19 is a newly discovered coronavirus and is being spread person to person; the source is not yet known.

While Santa Cruz County Public Health considers this a serious public health threat, based on current information, the risk to the general public in Santa Cruz County is considered low at this time. However, it is likely there will continue be more cases reported in the U.S. in the coming days and weeks. Symptoms T ypically, human coronaviruses cause mild-to-moderate respiratory illness. Symptoms are very similar to the flu, including runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever, and/or shortness of breath. Older adults and people with underlying health conditions may be at increased risk.

Anyone who has recently traveled from China, or came in close contact with someone who traveled from China, and develops a fever and lower respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or shortness of breath within 14 days after leaving the area, should call their doctor or health care provider and share travel history and symptoms before visiting the clinic or emergency room.

For prevention, health officials advise washing hands with liquid soap and water, and rubbing for at least 20 seconds, covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing, and staying home if you are sick. n

Focus Ag Announces New Class

Focus Agriculture has announced the 21 community leaders selected for Class 31 to learn about agriculture in Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley. The class includes: Raymon Cancino, Chief Executive Officer Community Bridges, Stephanie Connor Kent, Chief Nurse Executive, Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center/Sutter Health, Michelle Navarro, Business Development Officer, Santa Cruz County Bank, Anita Aguirre, Chief Compliance Officer & Deputy

Director, Salud Para La Gente, John Bargetto, vice president, Bargetto Winery, Belinda Barr,Business Services Manager, Economic Development Coordinator, Workforce Board Development (County of Santa Cruz), Evan Benevento, senior Accountant, Wheeler Accountants, LLP, Chris Bley,entrepreneur, Insight Up Solutions, Edan Cassidy, managing member, Cassidy Insurance Agency, LLC, ...

This is a picture of CDC’s laboratory test kit for COVID-19. CDC is shipping the test kits to laboratories CDC has designated as qualified, including U.S. state and local public health laboratories, Department of Defense (DOD) laboratories and select international laboratories. The test kits are bolstering global laboratory capacity for detecting COVID-19.

Women Innovators

ACROSS 1. Cause for September celebration 6. Net holder 9. Island near Java 13. “PokΘmon,” e.g. 14. *Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman wrote its first version in 1923, acr. 15. Archeologist’s find 16. Synagogue scroll 17. Bag in Paris 18. “Behind ____ Lines” 19. *Aviation pioneer 21. *She rebelled against sentimental novel 23. Nurses’ org. 24. Deceptive maneuver 25. Director’s cry 28. Snow and cycling helmet manufacturer 30. Low hemoglobin 35. Bryce Canyon state 37. Something to do 39. Lady’s Bella Notte date 40. Puerto ____ 41. Bone hollow 43. Slang for heroin 44. Cake cover 46. ____ and drab 47. Roman robe 48. “Purple People ____,” pl. 50. Defender of skies, acr. 52. Easter lead-in 53. Attention-getting interjection 55. Pres. Truman’s 1947 creation, acr. 57. *She originated the little black dress 60. *”Hidden ____” 64. Knights’ feat of strength 65. *Mary Phelps Jacob patented the 1st modern one 67. Dickens’ Heep 68. Ladies’ fingers 69. Three strikes 70. Actress Rene 71. Crowd-sourced review platform 72. Lilliputian 73. Master of ceremonies DOWN 1. Better than never? 2. a.k.a. midget buffalo 3. 100 cents in Ethiopia 4. D-Day beach 5. Move a picture 6. Breather 7. Investment option, acr. 8. Last European colony in China 9. Crooked 10. Sheltered, nautically 11. Trace or outline 12. Slippery surface 15. Feel indignant about something 20. Indian cuisine dip 22. *Sally Ride was 1st woman in space for this country 24. Speaker’s platform 25. *1st person to win two Nobel Prizes 26. Carthage’s ancient rival 27. Implied 29. *She developed philosophy of Objectivism 31. Formerly, formerly 32. *Home of Wesleyan College, first college chartered to grant degrees for women 33. Insect, postmetamorphosis 34. *Inventor of a newborn screening test

36. Use a whetstone 38. Caitlyn Jenner’s ex 42. Primitive calculators 45. Ulysses and Cary 49. Female 51. *Singular of #60 Across 54. Tennis-affected joint 56. Gold, to a chemist 57. Pepsi rival 58. Fling 59. Rush job notation 60. Inevitable occurrence 61. Reduced instruction set computer 62. Alleviate 63. Old Woman’s home 64. *Jennifer Lawrence played her in eponymous 2015 movie 66. Rivoli in Paris, e.g.