Published: October 07, 2009 06:37 pm      

GLYNN: Ed Cox faces challenge reviving state GOP

Ed Cox, a son-in-law of Richard Nixon, has his hands full as the new chairman of the New York state Republican Party.

For starters, he apparently has difficulty getting another prominent Republican, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, to return his phone calls.

And that just might be due to the fact that Giuliani dislikes the fact that Cox has been ordained to rebuild the badly divided GOP in the Empire State.

It is common knowledge that Giuliani’s personal preference for that post was Henry Wojtaszek of North Tonawanda, the county Republican chairman. Wojtaszek dropped out of the running just two weeks after his name surfaced.

Cox explained that, in his opinion, Giuliani would find it easier to win the race for U.S. Senate than the contest for governor, where state Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo appears a heavy favorite in all the early polls.

Cox was convinced that Sen. Kristen E. Gillibrand, a Democrat, could be beaten, especially after she voted against cutting off funds to Acorn, the anti-poverty organization that subsequently came under sharp criticism.

A corporate lawyer in New York, Cox has held a number of public positions including the chairmanship of the New York State Council of Parks.

•••

CITED FOR SERVICE: David D. Witmer of Youngstown retired last week after 44 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Buffalo District.

Lt. Col Daniel B. Snead, the district commander, praised Witmer for “consistently demonstrating superb technical skills and leadership” while performing a key role on the survey team from 1965 to 2009.

Snead said that Witmer, as a senior surveying technician, was instrumental in assuring that the district’s field operations would stay current with the latest technology.

A public affairs spokesman at the Buffalo office noted the Witmers have deep roots in Western New York and with the corps of engineers founded 207 years ago.

Dave is the fifth generation in his family to work for the corps.

•••

OFF THE PRESS: Just in time for the spooky season, “Ghosts of 1812: History, Folklore, Tradition and the Niagara War,” by Mason Winfield (Western New York Wares, paperback, $15.95), offers an intriguing story of the Niagara Frontier’s haunted sites, its heroes and villains, comedies and disasters.

•••

WORTH THE TRIP: Starting this weekend, the Niagara River Region Scarecrow Expo may be viewed in the business districts of Lewiston, Ransomville and Sanborn.

Check out the unique characters created by people with the right touch for eye-catching fall displays. The Expo continues through Oct. 31.

•••

THE FORECAST: Niagara University’s basketball team is expected to finish second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for 2009-10, according to the Sporting News’ pre-season MAAC rankings.

Siena College, as you might predict, is No. 1.

Let’s hope that when the Saints come marching into the Gallagher Center their coach doesn’t bring juice to throw at the scorer’s table (as he did last year).