Scotts Valley Patch: What is your occupation?
Dr. Francis Kuo: I 'm an optometrist with my own private practice in Santa Cruz. I have been in practice for 25 years.
Patch: Where were you born?
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Dr. Kuo: I was born in Hong Kong and came to the Bay Area in 1963 at the age of 5.
Patch: Where were you educated?
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Dr. Kuo: I went to Branciforte Junior High, Harbor High, UC Davis, and received my Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of Houston, College of Optometry.
Patch: How long have you lived in Scotts Valley?
Dr. Kuo: I lived in Santa Cruz in 1969-1975 and have lived in Scotts Valley since 1975.
Patch: What brought you to the area?
Dr. Kuo: When I was in grade school, our family drove from Berkeley to Santa Cruz in the summers for day trips to the beach. My parents fell in love with the area and we moved here in 1969. This area has the best climate, mountains, and beaches. What more could you want or ask for?
Patch: What is something you are known for?
Dr. Kuo: I am very active at Santa Cruz Bible Church with different ministries and leading and going on mission trips to Mexico. I have also been involved with the Santa Cruz County Junior Golf Association (SCCJGA) program for over 10 years and am currently the president.
Patch: What is your latest project?
Dr. Kuo: We are starting up the 2012 junior golf season with tournaments for all skill levels for ages 8-18 that run from April through August. Just about all the beginning level tournaments are played here in Scotts Valley at Valley Gardens Golf Course. We have discounts for green fees and range balls, subsidized lessons and free clinics, and membership to the Northern California Golf Association. Please check our web site at www.sccjga.com.
Patch: Book you last read?
Dr. Kuo: Radical by David Platt and WikiChurch by Steve Murrell. Both talk about discipleship and challenge me to go and share the love of God.
Patch: Newspaper or magazine you read regularly?
Dr. Kuo: I read the Santa Cruz Sentinel and the Scotts Valley Banner. I read every issue of Sports Illustrated, Bicycling, and Consumer Reports.
Patch: Movie you could watch again and again?
Dr. Kuo: I think The Sound of Music is a timeless classic.
Patch: Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Dr. Kuo: I enjoy road cycling throughout Santa Cruz County, playing tennis and working out at the La Madrona Swim and Tennis Club, and golfing at all the courses in the area.
Patch: What is one of your most gratifying accomplishments?
Dr. Kuo: Leading mission trips to Mexico and seeing changed lives, finishing two half Ironman distance triathlons, and climbing up to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite are some of my more gratifying accomplishments.
Patch: What is your greatest indulgence?
Dr. Kuo: I occasionally indulge in a huge bowl of ice cream with a generous topping of chocolate chips.
Patch: One of your most memorable vacations?
Dr. Kuo: We took a family trip to Washington D.C., New York and Philadelphia two years ago. It was great seeing a lot of the historical sites, monuments and museums in the area, and since my wife home schools our children, it was a giant extended field trip with lots of educational opportunities.
Patch: What is a goal you are chasing after?
Dr. Kuo: As a Christian believer, I want to be a better disciple of Jesus. As a cyclist, I'm working toward doing a five-hour century ride, and maybe doing more triathlons.
Patch: What do you like most about life in Scotts Valley?
Dr. Kuo: Scotts Valley is a great town to live in with its small town feel. It's close to the Bay Area, but not too close. I have a very short commute to work in Santa Cruz. And it's great to hop on my bike and ride on many of the back roads without hitting too many stop lights and stop signs.