By NICK ABADJIAN

The Queens Chamber of Commerce wants to keep the flow of business going so they are conducting an outreach to companies affected by the terrorist attack.

The Queens Chamber’s President Joseph Farber sent out a letter to fellow members asking if they had been affected. The Queens Chamber also asked if other members would offer their services pro bono to help out companies until the end of the year.

Chamber Executive Vice President Lucy Nunziato said, "Our mission is to help our members and make sure that they keep their doors open and continue to work in the Queens community."

The Chamber is also extending their outreach to non-members, but by the nature of their organization, they have to keep their focus on their members.

Among businesses in Queens that have been suffering since Sept. 11 are the food and entertainment business. According to Nunziato, business at Terrace on the Park, a large catering facility that overlooks Flushing Meadow Park, is down significantly.

Business is also down for Transitions Entertainment, which provides live entertainment such as swing and Latin bands for corporate functions. About 20 to 25 percent of its holiday business comes from airlines and airports, especially JFK airport.

Rosemarie Magee, president of Transitions Entertainment said "Now that airlines are in the mode of laying off people I don’t think are going to be hiring me."

Among the Queens Chamber members willing to give a helping hand is Fred Darretta, the branch manager for Independence Community Bank in Jackson Heights.

"I can just give general counseling," said Daretta.

With the attack, many families lost their breadwinner. Daretta is prepared to offer people information on financing homes and help evaluate the equity of their home and advised that some banks giving a grace period on mortgage payments to those affected by the attack. He suggested that people consult with their bankers about the alternatives available.

The family of students, teachers, administrators and support staff at PS 220 in Forest Hills, gave their heartfelt thanks to the rescue workers of the World Trade Center tragedy.

Red, white and blue hearts now adorn the school lobby, creating an American Flag of Thanks and Remembrance, to the rescue workers and victims.

By ARLENE LEWIS

On Sept. 11, Joyce Shepard began the day as a candidate for the Democratic primary and two days later, her race seemed miles away and her focus was on poker.

The psychological social worker and first time candidate responded to the events of election day by calling in to find out how she could help. She was sent to the command center at Shea Stadium. On Sept. 13, she learned that in this arena, she had three strikes against her—being a woman, a therapist, and the challenge of getting a "bunch of [devastated], macho firemen to open up in a group setting."

Then, she thought of poker. She got a pack of cards, set up a game, and offered to play. "I became one of the boys and they opened up. They got everything off their chest."

At Shea, "I met the most wonderful, giving, and caring people I have ever met in my life. It was an instant family." The family included an 18-year old who had hitch-hiked from Boston because he wanted to help and many firemen from Illinois, Texas, Florida, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Ohio.

On Sept. 14, the scene which those firefighters had lived with became her own grim reality. She went to ground zero with a team of six from the Red Cross.

"We found ourselves standing on grey, smokey, barren streets — no people, no cars. It felt like we were dropped off in a bad horror movie. It was eerie and scary."

Still, everyone looked to help. When a veterinarian in the group saw an ASPCA center, she went to care for the animals. Shepard and four others wound up inside Stuyvesant High School where a command and triage center were set up. Shepard concluded, "Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of the most rewarding and unforgettable experiences of my life."

By ANGELA MONTEFINISE

The destruction of the Twin Towers on Sept. 11 sent some Queens asthma sufferers into severe attacks, but a Jamaica Hospital expert reports the worst is over, though people should still be careful.

Dr. Geoffrey Doughlin, president of the medical staff at Jamaica Hospital and a member of the emergency management department, said, "A strong wind actually blew straight into our neck of the woods in the days following the disaster, increasing the danger for Queens asthma patients. . . . We had more than sixty people come to the emergency room with asthma attacks in the two weeks following the disaster, most of them from Queens, some from lower Westchester where there were terrible problems."

Doughlin said that most patients had "severe trouble breathing" and needed immediate medical attention. "Inhalers weren’t doing it," Doughlin said.

Although all of the patients seen at Jamaica Hospital were treated and released without any problems, Doughlin said the likelihood of further asthma attacks is high in people who experienced problems in the weeks following the disaster.

"People who had problems after Sept. 11 will probably become more sensitized to asthmatic triggers afterwards. Those people will probably have attacks or breathing problems more frequently than normal, but as long as they carry their inhalers, they’ll be alright."

Doughlin reports that the number of people complaining of respiratory problems or asthma attacks has leveled off since mid-October, agreeing with Department of Environmental Protection statistics that show a steep decline in foreign particles in the air. "There is nothing in the air now," Doughlin said. "People with asthma are safe, except for repeat reactions. Still, they should always carry they’re inhalers and take they’re medication. It’s important now because you really never know."