By:JOSEPH KELLARD
Ray Lichtenstein, an Oceansider who was recognized by the board of education for his Iron Man attendance streak at board meetings that spans nearly three decades, and Eli Applebaum, a jeweler known for taking on any task a customer asks of him, leave noteworthy marks on the community where they've lived and done business for many years.
Last month at the final Oceanside school board meeting Lichtenstein would attend, the board members bestowed on him a citation recognizing his commitment to school issues.
ÒMr. Lichtenstein has been a direct participant and has attended all our board meetings,Ó said Bob Transom, a board member for the past six years. ÒHeÕs made a lot of suggestions, many of which we implemented. He was a very effective participant.Ó
ÒI was deeply touched and honored,Ó said Lichtenstein, a retired guidance counselor at Hewlett High School who will pack his moving truck headed for Lake Worth next week.
Twenty-nine years ago, Lichtenstein and his wife, Billie, moved from the Bronx to Oceanside, where they raised their daughter, Gail, and son, Rob, in OceansideÕs schools. Except over the past three years, in which he has divided his year between Oceanside and South Beach, Lichtenstein has attended most school board meetings from the time be put his kids in kindergarten until last month, many years after they graduated from Oceanside High School.
ÒI felt it was important for my kids and the kids of Oceanside that we have a voice in the proceedings of the school district,Ó he said about his motives for remaining involved with school issues.
Asked why he never stopped attend meetings, he simply replied, ÒBecause our children are our future of society.Ó
Among LichtensteinÕs suggestions to the board was to recreate the position of guidance department chairperson at OHS. ÒI wanted someone who was specifically trained in the area,Ó he said about this measure that the board implemented.
Lichtenstein is proudest of getting the board to institute a policy in which equal numbers of tickets are issued for both honor and non-honor students on graduation day ceremonies held indoors due to inclement weather.
ÒSimply because honor students had a better average than other students, I though they shouldnÕt get an extra ticket because of this,Ó he said. ÒWhy shouldnÕt any non-honors students who works just as hard get an extra ticket, too? The concept just wasnÕt right. I brought this to the attention of the board and they changed that policy.Ó
Over the years Lichtenstein joined various committees, one of which sought to establish set attendance standards for athletes and club members, and worked independently to get a traffic light signal extended to improve congestion near Oceanside High School.
ÒWhether you agree with the board or not,Ó Lichtenstein said, Òthey work inordinate hours, and itÕs incumbent on the community to come out and speak their voice.Ó
While Lichtenstein was known for his education-oriented activism, Applebaum of EliÕs Jewelry on Long Beach Road is known, in part, for keeping a dog in the store that greets customers with its bark.
For security reasons, Applebaum refused to reveal the dogÕs name, but the pet is just another in a line of German Shepherds he has kept behind his glass counters since he opened his jewelry store in 1990.
ÒThe dog is the best deterrent,Ó Applebaum said.
And recently some customers literally cried in his store, not out of fear of the attack dog, but because they learned Applebaum is leaving for West Palm Beach next week, he said. Despite his famous German Shepherds, Applebaum's popularity rest on his reputation as the jeweler who will do virtually anything, from custom made jewelry to complex repairs.
ÒOther jewelers in the area would refer their customers to me,Ó Applebaum said. ÒIÕll take watches that no one wants to touch, old windup watches that are complicated to fix, and IÕll repair them.Ó
In addition to his versatility, Applebaum attributes being in businesses for 14 years in Oceanside to his affable personality, and the one-on-one customer relations he provides but says are rare today.
ÒIÕm like the family jeweler,Ó Applebaum explained. ÒI kid around with all the customers. I go out of my way. Other stores arenÕt like that. And in the 35 years IÕve been in business, here in Oceanside and other places on Long Island, IÕve never had to advertise. People know about me by word of mouth.Ó
When the Herald visited Applebaum last Wednesday, a new customer to EliÕs Jewelry came through the door for watch batteries. ÒHow long will the new battery last?Ó the new customer asked. ÒOh, until you get to the door,Ó Applebaum joked.
ÒHeÕs an honest and straightforward guy,Ó said Kate OÕNeill, one of his regular customers.
Applebaum said about the women who shed some tears over his pending departure to Florida, ÒSome women started literally crying when I told them I was leaving. ÔWhat am I going to do,Õ they said. ThereÕs no one like me.Ó
