Excerpted from DallasNews.com 03/21/2001...

Nickname: Jim

Community activities: chairman, Plano Board of Adjustment; secretary, Pitman Creek Estates Homeowners; band manager, Plano Senior Center; and lector, St. Mark Church

Occupation: retired manufacturers representative, cocktail pianist

Birth date and place: Orange, N.J.

Family: wife, Toni; children, Mary, Cathy, Julie, Jimmy and Marc; grandchildren, Jacob and Abigail

If I had a different job, I'd be an: astronaut

My hobbies are: flying, playing piano, travel, singing with the Vocal Majority

The last book I read was: Cardinal of the Kremlin, by Tom Clancy

My favorite performer is: Oscar Peterson

I wish I knew how to: speak Spanish

My trademark cliché or expression is: "Great Caesar's ghost.''

My worst habit is: my cliché

I would never: eat sushi

My favorite possession is: my piano

I drive a: Jeep

If I could, I'd drive a: Jaguar XJS

My favorite restaurant is: Café de France

For my last meal, I would choose: scrod

My teenage idol was: Captain Marvel

I wish I could sing like: Frank Sinatra

I'm happiest when: playing piano and singing barbershop

I'm tired of: traffic

The biggest waste of time is: television

If I could change one thing about Plano it would be: the lack of shade trees