Great Neck Plaza's oldest family-owned restaurant, ''Frederick's'' luncheonette and stationery store, has added to its already established Great Neck Student Aid Fund scholarship, now called the Murray and Rose Selby Memorial Scholarship. Following the death of owner Murray Selby in 1996, the family, friends, staff, and customers collected money for a memorial scholarship. Now, in 2000, following the death of Murray's wife, Rose, the scholarship has been expanded to include the memory of Rose and Murray Selby.

So much money was collected following Murray Selby's death that a self-perpetuating scholarship was set up in 1996. Additional funds, in memory of Rose Selby, have been pouring into the Student Aid Fund since Mrs. Selby's death in January. According to Madge Kaplan, fund-raising chair for Student Aid, money has been coming in from all over Great Neck, ''and even from people who have moved.''

The people who work at ''Frederick's'' began collecting the funds four years ago, and then, after Rose's funeral, people came into the store ''to give money to the people behind the counter.'' Ms. Kaplan reports that, since then, Student Aid has been receiving ''a couple of hundred dollars a week in memory of the Selbys.''

The Great Neck Student Aid Fund offers scholarships to needy Great Neck students to help with college freshman year expenses. High school seniors apply, show a need, and Student Aid tries to make up the difference. ''We try to help with the first year, help them get started, and the next year the college usually helps, with a work/study program or something,'' explained Ms. Kaplan. She stressed that there are many Great Neck students with real financial needs. ''They really do exist!''

Student Aid currently has 55 to 60 applications, with ''more and more students applying each year.'' Ms. Kaplan says that they expect to be able to help about 40 of this year's applicants. Based on need, each student will receive $1000 to $3500, ''depending on the cap each year.''

With more and more money coming to Student Aid in memory of the Selbys, more assistance will be available. '' 'Frederick's' is really interested in education,'' said Ms. Kaplan, ''they even help young people with jobs...''

''Frederick's'' opened close to 50 years ago. And, according to Plaza Mayor Bob Rosegarten, the store may actually be the oldest family-owned restaurant on the entire Great Neck peninsula. Today the Selby's son Cliff runs this ''landmark'' operation. He began his career as the ''paper boy'' in his parents' store when he was only 10 years old. ''I've never had another job. I've seen everything here,'' he said, laughing.

As everyone in town knows, ''Frederick's'' is a real ''social event,'' with the same groups of people meeting regularly for breakfast, lunch, or just for coffee. Mr. Selby reports that one group of women, all in their 80s, have met the same time every day, for 20 years.

''Everyone knows everyone else,'' said Mr. Selby, while Mayor Rosegarten added, ''And the staff knows them all!''

Though Cliff Selby has made some improvements---expanding the cigar offerings, stocking 2500 magazine selections (maybe the largest on Long Island), and remodeling (but not too different)---the store still retains its old-time feeling. ''This is almost the last of what Great Neck was when I came as a kid,'' said a very nostalgic Mayor Rosegarten. ''Maybe they updated, but they didn't really change the place,'' he noted. ''It still has the same ambiance...and the help still have that same old 'attitude.' ''

Today, as in years past, ''Frederick's'' is still a place to come home to, a place in many memories. Mayor Rosegarten reports that his oldest son, Rory, told his favorite ''Frederick's'' waitress Ruth (a 25-year veteran of the store) that he was about to become a father for the first time by showing her his purchase---Parents' Magazine. He remembered coming in as a youngster and being admonished by Ruth for trying to buy Playboy.

Cliff Selby reports a ''connection'' with his ''famous'' store no matter where he goes. Even going off to jury duty he met a delivery person and a real estate agent who frequented the luncheonette.

Years ago, when there were Saturday night lines to pick up the Sunday edition of The New York Times, it was Cliff's father who met all the celebrities who lived in town.

In the new millennium, ''Frederick's'' remains much as it was in the mid-1900s, still ''an old-fashioned candy store.'' As a matter of fact, Mr. Selby proudly reported that Long Island Magazine named his store as the one with the best egg cream!

Named by a Baker Elementary School third grader, Jennifer Melia, as a ''Bravo From Baker'' award winner, the youngster wrote that ''Frederick's'' is a place ''that makes us proud to live in the community...a clean place...selection...egg creams...candy...fresh water for free...''

And now, ''Frederick's'' and the Selby family and friends continue to give to Great Neck with the Great Neck Student Aid Fund's Murray and Rose Selby Memorial Scholarship.

To make a donation, or for further information about Student Aid or the Selby scholarship, call Madge Kaplan, evenings and weekends, at 487-4445, or during the week at work at 485-5710, extension 119.

(The Great Neck Student Aid Fund is a member agency of the Great Neck United Community Fund.)