JUST IN TIME

The Statue of Liberty is open again, just as the Thanksgiving Week vacation surge hits its peak, and thousands of tourists are headed for the awe-inspiring sight of the Grand Canyon. By ending the budget stasis now, President Clinton and GOP leaders have avoided not only the real pain that might be suffered by the needy who are dependent on federal social programs, but the spectacle of a lot of government-run operations growing seedy while federal employees were off duty. West Point cadets, for example, will not earn the sobriquet "The Longhaired Grey Line" after all, now that their barbers are manning the chairs again. Keeping the West Point grounds decently manicured during the shutdown was not a problem, since a blanket of snow had covered the heights above the Hudson River.