If the whole Canisius College president thing doesn’t work out, John J. Hurley might have a future headlining in the Borscht Belt.

The Jesuit college’s first lay president sprinkled a few well-received jokes into his speech during a news conference this week:

Hurley told the crowd that his oldest daughter, Caroline, is a junior at Canisius who recently moved into the Delavan Townhouses.

“As I explain to friends, I’m paying $10,000 to have her move a block and a half down the street,” Hurley quipped from the podium.

Later, he pointed out his brother, Paul, who serves as president of Trocaire College.

“We are now assembling the dynasty here in Buffalo,” he joked.

Finally, the former partner with Phillips Lytle thanked the Rev. Vincent

M. Cooke, whom he is replacing, for bringing him to the college administration in 1997.

“He likes to claim that he rescued me from the lawyers,” Hurley said.

A boo-tiful greeting

Amherst town employees are none too happy with Supervisor Satish Mohan, who proposed a budget this year that includes layoffs and other deparment cuts.

At the start of Monday’s budget hearing, which was packed with union workers, a loud chorus of boos rained down on the supervisor as soon as he stepped into the room.

Deputy Supervisor Mark Manna tried to console him as soon as he sat down.

“Mr. Supervisor,” Manna said, “they’re just practicing for Halloween.”

I’m so . . . enthused?

Interpreting Bass Pro news conferences has become a cottage industry for us at Off Main Street.

Over the years—and years and years —of pronouncements about the giant retailer’s plans for a store on the site of the old Memorial Auditorium, Bass Pro officials repeatedly have been unable to contain their excitement about the plan.

Since 2004, Bass Pro officials have said they are “excited,” “very excited,” “more excited than ever” and “extremely excited” about building a store here.

As recently as last December, Bass Pro President James Hagale reiterated the refrain and added a bit more, saying: “We’re excited and committed.”

So what do we make of Hagale’s pronouncement this week that Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris’ visit here two months ago left him feeling “more enthused” about the project.

That doesn’t sound as exciting as excited, does it?

And although we don’t have the store yet, we do have something to tide us over: a new video game called “Bass Pro Shops: The Strike.”

The game promises that players will feel like they’re really fishing, right in their own homes.

We haven’t played it yet, but we’re sure it’s exciting.

Letter perfect

As far back as grade school, Assemblyman Mark J. F. Schroeder emphasized the second of his middle initials.

In sixth grade, he used his grandfather’s name for his confirmation name. And he’s honored that name ever since.

“I took a lot of harassment for it,” the South Buffalo Democrat said. “But I decided then, that if I took his name, I would use it.”

So from confirmation on, whenever Schroeder signed his name, he included the middle initials. The 53-year-old has continued the practice in political life.

“I always sign my name, Mark J. F. Schroeder.”

But not everybody knew what the F stood for . . . until Thursday.

At the long-awaited Francesca’s restaurant opening in South Buffalo, Schroeder presented the owner with a signed proclamation before a crowd of patrons and supporters.

And for the first time, his signature didn’t include his initials.

Instead, he signed his full name: Mark Joseph Francesco Schroeder.

“Now we all know,” said Erie County Legislator Timothy M. Kennedy.

Written by Bruce Andriatch with contributions from Stephen T. Watson, Sandra Tan and Patrick LaKamp.

offmain@buffnews.com