Veterans

In rejecting PSA screening for prostate cancer, an influential federal panel has chipped a cornerstone of preventive medicine, declaring that it's not always best to catch cancer as early as possible. "At best, PSA screening may help only 1 man in 1,000 avoid death from prostate cancer," the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said Monday. "Most prostate cancers found by PSA screening are slow growing, not life threatening, and will not cause a man any harm during his lifetime.

The husband of April Kauffman, a South Jersey radio personality and advocate for veterans' causes who was found fatally shot in her master bedroom last week in Atlantic County, has hired a well-known defense attorney, who said his client had "cooperated fully" with authorities. James Kauffman, an endocrinologist, has retained Edwin Jacobs, the Atlantic City lawyer said in an interview Tuesday. "He met the county prosecutor's investigators and answered all their questions," Jacobs said.

Stamps for the Wounded is a little-publicized volunteer group that collects millions of stamps and related materials for wounded veterans. The organization, now completing its 58th year, accepts donations of stamps, covers, albums, catalogs, stock books, trade journals, magnifiers, tongs and gauges. "We need material throughout the year, but it is especially welcomed as fall is followed by holiday time," said John Hotchner, vice president for Stamps for the Wounded. Stamps for the Wounded serves thousands of in- and outpatients through clubs and occupational therapy programs in veterans hospitals and convalescent centers nationwide.

The annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was at the King of Prussia Hilton. On Friday night, members marched in a four-mile parade.

Short days ago the President was mourning the deaths of our soldiers in Newfoundland and acknowledging the debt the country owes to our armed forces and our veterans. Later we read that the President's budget for 1987 will drastically cut the health care benefits for those same veterans. Martin and Dorothy Ulan Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.

A job expo targeted to veterans will be held Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the West Club. RecruitMilitary L.L.C. of Cincinnati, the event organizer, says the event is open to anyone just returning from active duty and members of the guard, as well as their spouses. Employers and educational institutions, as well as veterans service agencies and veterans associations are among the 35 organizations expected to be on hand, the organizer said. More information here . -    Roslyn Rudolph

By Catharine Hill As the U.S. military presence in Iraq draws to a close, it's time for colleges and universities to increase their commitment to veterans who want more education. Selective private colleges in particular must step up and do our part. In 1975, Arthur M. Okun published an important little book, Equality and Efficiency: The Big Tradeoff , in which he wrote about the benefits of capitalism, but also about the values that we are not willing to submit to the marketplace.

With patriotism and support of the military at a peak, 4,000 veterans and widows of veterans across the state who live in nursing homes have gotten a little surprise. It's from the state. And, in effect, it's a bill. Through a little-noticed emergency regulation issued by the state Public Welfare Department, the veterans and widows have been advised that the state will no longer let them keep so-called aid and attendance benefit checks that range from $50 to $356 per month.

Robert E. Owens steadied his shaking hands by alternately leaning on his umbrella and hugging his squirming grandson. "I want to go home," the grandson whispered with a pout. Owens, who says he is in his 70s, smiled but didn't budge from his flimsy folding chair in the crowded VFW Hall on Manor Avenue. His attention was transfixed on the stream of old and middle-aged veterans who marched to the front of the flag-decked room to receive medals and ribbons that had long been denied them.

Going, going, gone - for $8,390. That's what a day in New York with Flavia Colgan, the MSNBC commentator and former top staffer to Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, went for this week on eBay. Since last Friday, Colgan was auctioning herself for charity - with the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Pennsylvania, where she serves on the board. The highest bidder gets to spend most of today with Colgan as she does television tapings, drops in on political parties, and generally makes the rounds of the town.

"I want to say, ‘Thank you for your service,'?" said Marissa Colbeck, 14. "?‘What you do is brave, and I wouldn't be all right without you, so thanks for taking care of us.'?" Said fellow eighth-grader Kevin Calhoun: "It's the least we can do. " What they did was pretty impressive. Right in time for Memorial Day, "Hearts for Heroes" was the name given to the effort organized by Patty Watson, a patriotic volunteer, mother and former nurse from near Buffalo, N.Y., who has a New Jersey connection.

As Memorial Day approaches, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) has introduced legislation designed to toughen penalties against employers who discriminate against veterans when they return from their tours of duty. "These are brave men and women who should not have to worry about their jobs when they are defending our country," Casey said Wednesday. "The least we can do is make sure when they get home they are not discriminated against. " Federal law already requires companies to reemploy armed-services members promptly, and bans discrimination against them because of their past, present, or future service.

ELTON BRAND strode through the corridors of TD Garden dressed like a stockbroker, as amiable as a preacher. A security guard congratulated Brand on his exceptional effort in a losing cause. "Thanks," said Brand. "See you Saturday. " It was Monday. The Sixers had just lost Game 5. Brand was, in effect, assuring a Sixers win in Game 6 on Wednesday night. A return to Boston for a Game 7. Which meant that he would be a Sixer for one more game. Maybe more.

The husband of April Kauffman, a South Jersey radio personality and advocate for veterans' causes who was found fatally shot in her master bedroom last week in Atlantic County, has hired a well-known defense attorney, who said his client had "cooperated fully" with authorities. James Kauffman, an endocrinologist, has retained Edwin Jacobs, the Atlantic City lawyer said in an interview Tuesday. "He met the county prosecutor's investigators and answered all their questions," Jacobs said.

After two games of the Eastern Conference semifinal round between the Sixers and Boston Celtics, we know that Boston's wealth of experience gives them the edge at the end of close games and that the Sixers' youth and energy clearly tips a tight contest in their favor. In other words, after the teams traded one-point wins in the opening salvo of the series, we don't know much yet, but we know close games are probably here to stay. "Everybody always focuses on the last play of the game, but that's not really what games come down to. It's everything else that happens before, too," Doug Collins said.

MAYS LANDING, N.J. — Dan Danchak was supposed to meet April Kauffman at his American Legion post in Somers Point on Friday night to smoke a "victory cigar" with her. Instead, Danchak, a Vietnam veteran who had worked with Kauffman, and her husband, James, a prominent area physician, on veterans' health care issues, was mourning her death. The 47-year-old Kauffman, a grandmother, local radio personality, and entrepreneur known affectionately by friends as "Air Strike April," was found shot to death in the master bedroom of her Linwood home on Thursday morning.

CHICAGO - Only three current 76ers before this postseason had ever reached the second round of the playoffs, since the team is mostly filled with very young players. Elton Brand, Tony Battie, and Sam Young advanced out of the first round in their careers, and each knows how tough the close-out game of a series can be. "Close-out games are notoriously tough, but I'd rather be in the position to be up 3-1 and have an opportunity to close things out," Brand said Tuesday before Game 5. "But it's never easy.

OK, EIGHT GAMES into this marathon of attrition, and what do we know about this playoff edition of the Flyers? I mean, really know for sure. The goalie has played good enough most of the time, spectacular some of the time and not-so-hot at other times. The kids have amazed at times and disappeared at times, and the leadership has been inspired some of the time and disappointing at others, like Tuesday night. A game like that wasn't supposed to ever happen again, remember? That was the embarrassed message that Flyers de facto captain Claude Giroux sent out after that 10-3 Game 4 loss against Pittsburgh, then backed it up with a solid effort in Game 5 and a spectacular one in Game 6. And what did we learn then?

The Flyers admire Marty Brodeur. Deeply. Hey, how can you not admire a guy who is the winningest goalie in NHL history, someone who has led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups? Never mind that he doesn't always play like Marty Legend. Never mind that, with his 40th birthday just five days away, his instincts are not quite what they used to be. Never mind that he sometimes has lapses, like the bad clearing attempt he made in Game 1 on Sunday that indirectly led to James van Riemsdyk's goal in the Flyers' 4-3 overtime win. He is still regarded by many as the Best Goalie to Ever Wear a Mask, still regarded as a player who can steal a game, like he did in the Devils' double-overtime triumph over Florida in Game 7 of the conference quarterfinals.

Edward James Andrews, 87, an Army veteran and paper company worker, died in his sleep Wednesday, April 18, at his home in Voorhees. Mr. Andrews was born in Manayunk and graduated from Roxborough High School in 1942. After graduation, he served in the Army from 1943 to 1946. A year later, he married Annie Louise Benton. He worked at Weyerhaeuser Paper for 40 years. Mr. Andrews was a generous man who donated to various charities, his son James said. He had a great sense of humor and loved word puzzles, board games, and his computer.