
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 28, 1990                   TAG: 9003280073
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WILDER, REAGAN PARTY IN PRIVATE

While his traveling companions went to the Academy Awards ceremony Monday, Gov. Douglas Wilder spent the evening chumming around with another longtime Hollywood figure - Ronald Reagan.

Wilder, in California on a trade trip, was a guest at a private dinner party arranged by Betsy Bloomingdale, whose husband founded the department store chain.

Among the 14 guests: the former president and his wife, Nancy.

A Wilder aide reported that the governor and Reagan spent the evening discussing Eastern Europe and "everything under the sun."

At one point in the evening, Wilder commented that, considering how many health problems Reagan had recovered from, someone up above must be looking out for him.

Wilder also joked that someone must be looking out for him, too, because Reagan's illnesses prevented the popular former president from coming to Virginia last fall to campaign for the Republicans - and against Wilder.

A Wilder aide said Reagan turned to Wilder and quipped: "Then someone was looking out for the both of us."

by CNB