Two public relations firms promoting what each...

Two public relations firms promoting what each claims to be “the world’s largest pinata” are taking some vicious swings at each other as Cinco de Mayo approaches.

Pinata No. 1, a 12-foot-tall donkey, is scheduled to be smashed by “a local politician” at a Woodland Hills restaurant this morning on its way to being “listed . . . in the Guinness Book of World Records,” according to Frank Groff Public Relations.

A spokeswoman for Groff seemed unfazed when told that a 27-foot-tall, hat-shaped pinata would appear at an El Monte restaurant this afternoon.

“I doubt if it’s made out of authentic materials,” she charged.

And what are “authentic materials”?

“Papier-mache,” she answered.

A spokesman for Edelman Public Relations, representing Pinata No. 2, maintained: “It is authentic” and it will be “certified” by Guinness as the largest. But he admitted: “I haven’t actually seen it myself.”

The ultimate decision, of course, will be made by the Guinness judge.

It won’t be easy, especially if he’s wearing a blindfold.

You knew the two disciples of speed would hook up sooner or . . . well, sooner:

A McDonald’s on Wilshire Boulevard is now taking fax orders--with a special McFax Pick-Up Line, naturally. One advantage of a McFax: You don’t have to suffer the embarrassment of ordering a Happy Meal out loud.

A peanut butter-and-jelly burrito?

It might seem like a half-baked idea now. But Irwin Steinberg notes that bagels and Greek pita bread already have “graduated” from ethnic to general fare, and he predicts Mexican food will be next, even in places like Dubuque, Iowa, and Portland, Me.

And who is Steinberg? He’s executive executive director of L.A.’s newest marketing group:

The Tortilla Industry Assn.

Commencement speaker at Occidental College on June 10 is W. Ann Reynolds, who recently resigned as chancellor of the California State University system after it was revealed that she had secretly received a 43% pay raise to $195,000.

Reynolds didn’t take this job for the money. Occidental doesn’t pay commencement speakers.

Earth Day was not in vain.

Five Little Leaguers, still in their Dodger uniforms, ambled into the men’s room at the Westside Pavilion mall, where they proceeded to spend several minutes wadding up paper towels and shoving them into the hot-air hand dryers. Why? Because the dryers would then shoot the the wads around the room.

Finally, after several minutes, one kid said:

“Let’s go, guys. We’ve wasted enough energy.”

MiscelLAny:

The elevators in the downtown Criminal Courts building don’t list floors 4, 8, 10 or 14. You probably wouldn’t want to get off at any of those levels, anyway. They’re used mostly to hold prisoners involved in trials.