NEWS LITE : KITSCHY GOPHER MUSEUM DRAWS CHEERS, JEERS.

Numbering 177 inhabitants, Torrington, Alberta, a small dot on a secondary highway crossing the vast Canadian prairie, was about as inconspicuous as a town can get. Until the gopher museum.

To the consternation of some and the delight of many, the museum has provoked hundreds of letters of outrage from around the world, a few of them obscene and pointedly illustrated.

That's because the Gopher Hole Museum is no sober natural history collection but rather a whimsical portrayal of daily life in tranquil, tiny Torrington - using dead, stuffed gophers decked out in cute little costumes.

Animal-rights activists are aghast.

In 31 displays, 54 gophers play hockey and Little League baseball, get a hair-do, preach a sermon, fly fish, shoot pool in the local tavern (little claws wrapped accurately around tiny cues) - even rob a bank, with the teller told, ``Put your paws up.''

Some of the props, such as itsy-bitsy binoculars, were culled from Barbie doll sets. Admission is U.S. $1.50.

Getting goofy about gophers isn't new to Torrington. Motorists passing through on the two-lane might glimpse a statue of Clem T. Gofur, the town's bucktoothed mascot, clad in real farmer's overalls, at the entrance to the town's campground.

Although the museum's grand opening is today, it has been the target of a yearlong campaign orchestrated by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a Washington, D.C.-based group with supporters worldwide.

In a section of its newsletter called ``Purrs and Grrrs,'' PETA growled at Torrington for its ``gruesome plan'' and accurately quoted Mayor Harold Ehrman as saying animal-rights activists could ``go stuff themselves.''

Want to visit Bill and Hillary? Just ask Like lots of kids, Marshall Bass came to Washington hoping to meet the Clintons. He even got up early to catch the president jogging, but no luck.

Still, the 10-year-old from Santa Barbara actually got his wish Friday morning, spending a few minutes with Hillary Clinton in the Diplomatic Reception Room.

It happened thanks to Marshall's mom, who made the bold request during a question-and-answer session after Clinton addressed a conference on character building.

Michele Bass told the first lady that Marshall took a week off of school to come to Washington and really wanted to meet her. Would a visit be possible?

``Well,'' Clinton said amid laughter, ``we might be able to work that out.''

Her speech was barely two hours old when the White House called and the visit was arranged.

Marshall had already been on the public tour of the White House, which affords visitors a quick dash through lots of formal rooms but little chance to see the first family.

``I liked the Blue Room though,'' he said. ``Isn't that the one that Hillary designed?''

Marshall has no interest in entering politics himself - he's shooting to be a basketball player along the lines of Michael Jordan - but his politics were sure to please Clinton.

``I don't like Bob Dole,'' he said.

Pop's regards sent to Broadway

Matthew Broderick is enjoying the Broadway stardom that eluded his father.

Broderick, 34, who is starring in ``How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,'' said his late father, James, struggled for years to make it on Broadway.

``My dad did a few musicals and was very unlucky,'' said Broderick, whose father appeared on the TV series ``Family.'' ``On Broadway, he had a show close in one night.''

Would he be jealous of his son's success?

``I'm sure he would be,'' Broderick said. ``He'd also be proud.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) A stuffed gopher dressed as a priest delivers a sermon, while a gopher angel hovers in a display at the new Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington, Alberta.

Associated Press 

(2) Matthew Broderick: Enjoying success