Activists Urge Occidental Petroleum Shareholders to Sell Their

Nearly all of the speakers who helped open the Alzheimer’s Assn. Center at Cal State Northridge on Friday have been deeply affected by the degenerative disease.

Actress Shelley Fabares, who starred in the television programs “The Donna Reed Show” and “Coach,” lost her mother eight years ago to Alzheimer’s.

Former Pasadena Mayor Katie Nack’s husband is in the latter stages of the disease. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky watches a close relative struggle with some symptoms.

The group of public figures who shared their stories applauded the opening of the center at CSUN that will provide assistance to caregivers, students and the public.

“To have a place like this to provide support means more than you can possibly understand,” said Fabares, the national Alzheimer’s Assn. spokeswoman. “I believe this [center] is the work of the angels.”

The partnership between CSUN and the Alzheimer’s Assn. of Los Angeles will provide a central resource for the elderly population while also creating collaborative education and training programs. Many services will be available to the public, including walk-in consultations, support groups and internships for students.

The center is housed in Monterey Hall, a brick building that was once a student dormitory. The rooms where students used to study and eat pizza have been transformed into doctors’ offices and laboratories. The association leases the office space from the university.

“The synergistic efforts here are far greater than the number of square feet in those offices,” said Stephen Sinclair, chairman of the university’s Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences.

“Those days are gone where universities don’t address the concerns of the communities where they are located. The center not only provides collaboration and cross-referral but serves as a demonstration model as well.”