Isn’t Liberty Swell? From the distance and...

Isn’t Liberty Swell? From the distance and dignity of Los Angeles, we can point out that among the memorabilia churned out for the Statue of Liberty’s birthday are these notables: “Growing Liberty” is a tiny sponge statue of antiroyalist blue, holding aloft a sponge torch. Add water and, in 24 hours, this Bathtub Toy of Democracy allegedly swells in volume to 200 times her 2 1/2-inch self, large enough to make her the Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man’s main squeeze. And there is a limited edition, sure-fire collector’s item advertised in Guns and Ammo magazine: the coveted $5, 7 1/2-inch, gold-coated “Statue of Liberty Commemorative Knife.” Freedom must be defended, you know. The People’s Courtesan When Los Angeles police ran a routine computer check on a suspected prostitute, the machine ditzed out 18 feet of arrest warrants and such, under 33 aliases. The 21-year-old woman was wanted on 29 warrants--more than $4,400 worth--for offenses from no-show traffic tickets to parole violation. Remarked Sgt. Larry Wehage: “I think even Judge Wapner wants to talk to her.” And at Quarterback, No. 666 . . . Never mind what they call themselves over at that Arizona university--the students at our own, new Palm Desert High School may be choosing a different mascot this fall. Their first choice, “Sundevils,” was deemed satanic by some locals. “If you give the devil an inch, he will take the whole 100 yards on a football field,” declared Palm Desert resident Jack Thompson. So it might be back to the runner-up choices, such as the prosaic Falcons or Cougars--a blessing in disguise, perhaps. It’s so deucedly hard to work “Beelzebub” into a cheer. Bowling in Style The latest napery caper: custom-sized linens to fit the hook-on tables at the Hollywood Bowl. Former dress designer Susanna Wilson--using patterns drawn up by Beverly and Nate Blitzer, who went to the Bowl and found “nobody had anything to fit”--is stitching up linens in an orchestra of colors, to sell in time for the July 2 opening. Wilson, a California native who’s back after 20 years in the New York rag trade, marveled at the gastro-instrumental event: “People actually do bring candelabra. I can’t imagine this in New York.” Besides cushioning clinking wineglasses, the linens might absorb the annoying alfresco sounds of 1,000 people jawing al dente dinners in time to the “Pathetique.”