VIP Guests Sent to the Doghouse

A woman and four children from Newcastle, Me., got a bonus when they went to visit the White House. President Bush pulled them out of the line of people awaiting a tour of the mansion to see the six puppies born March 17 to Bush’s English springer spaniel Millie. On returning home after giving a speech at a Washington hotel, Bush went to the White House public tour area and invited the first people in line to see the puppies. Leading 8-year-old Julia Bensen by the hand, Bush ushered the group to an enclosed pen where the puppies were playing. “Aren’t they cute?” he asked the little girl, who was accompanied by her mother, her brother and two friends. Bush told the tourists that the surprise was “a little dividend for waiting in line” to see the White House.

Sergei Petrov is happy about the way things are developing for him. Petrov, a Soviet photographer, is being allowed to immigrate to the United States after an eight-year quest. “I will believe this is all over once I step off that plane in America,” the photographer said after receiving the authorization. Petrov, 36, became known in New York and Paris through exhibits of his black-and-white photos of daily Moscow life. Former President Ronald Reagan met Petrov during his trip to Moscow last May.

Even though he did not get the job he wanted, former Sen. John Tower has work to do. The Texas Republican, who failed to win Senate confirmation to become secretary of defense, has been appointed to the board of directors of New York publisher Macmillan Inc., its parent company, Maxwell Communication Corp. PLC, said in London. Tower has also resumed posts as chairman of Maxwell Communication subsidiary Pergamon-Brassey’s International Defense Publications Inc. and of U.S. Armed Forces Journal. Tower recently signed with publisher Little, Brown to write a book on relations between presidents and Congress.

Barbara Lambert of Chicago was interrupted when she was preparing her income tax return Saturday. It was then that she learned that she was one of four holders of winning tickets in Illinois’ record $69.9-million Lotto jackpot. “I was flipping the tickets over and over, grumbling that I was going to blow $25 and not even match a single number, and there it was,” Lambert said. Two winners came forward Monday to claim their $17.4-million shares of the payoff. The fourth winner has contacted lottery officials but delayed claiming the prize. Lambert said she would split the money with her sister, Linda, of Forest Lake.