First-time author, Michael Lee releases children’s book

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Blending his passion for technology and art into adventure, rsttime author Michael Lee published “Drone Away From Home” to help encourage younger audiences to read and inspire readers to explore.

Lee, a military veteran, was rst inspired to tell a story of adventure after moving to Colorado in 2010 and seeing the beauty of the state. When his three children were young, he used to take them to the park where they would y kites.

Lee wrote a story called “ e Kite in the Cloud,” but was not completely satis ed with it, leaving the story to sit in his computer.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Highlands Ranch resident Lee was looking for a creative outlet and decided to come back to the story.

“You don’t see too many people ying a kite nowadays,” said Lee. “I swapped out the kite for drones and made it much more interesting.”

“Drone Away From Home” is a story that involves friendship, overcoming obstacles and going on a worldwide adventure.

Lee’s story is about a young boy named Darius and his drone friend, Finton. One day, Finton gets lost in a storm and meets a cloud named Sophia who helps him nd his way back to Darius.

“You just hear all the stories of how you know, kids weren’t reading during the pandemic,” said Lee. “My goal was to help inspire kids to both read and write about technology.” e next book will be a kind of prequel as it will take kids through the process of how a drone is created

Lee got a master’s degree in information technology and is now an engineer. Lee said this book and his future books are going to infuse technology, whether it’s about how technology can help people or bring people together.

“Drone Away From Home” is the start of a series. Lee plans to have another book come out next year.

NEUMANN Marvin Neumann

April 25, 1927 - July 17, 2023

Marvin Neumann 96 passed away in Ellisville Mo on July 17, 2023. Son of Philip and Gertrude Neumann, born April 25, 1927 Burlington, Wisconsin, a WWII Veteran, certi ed airbourne, made 10 jumps, Captain in the Army. Graduated in 1951 from University of Wisconsin, BBA Degree Accounting. Married wife Carol in 1955. Career included 4 1/2 years in Public Accounting, 13 years in Investment Banking and 16 years in Oil and Gas Business, V-President of Finance and Administration.

Served as President of Denver Chapter of earning about history is more fun when you experience it. at’s why the metro area has a wide range of places to experience Colorado’s history rsthand. Museums, tourist attractions and more provide venues for adults and children to get hands-on learning about Colorado history from the Jurrasic age to the 1900s. logic and paleontological features. Visitors can check out the area themselves or with volunteers and geologists to learn about the dinosaurs that roamed the area. ere’s a museum and gift shop at C-470 and Alameda Parkway, and Dinosaur Ridge has Dinosaur Days throughout the year.

FEI. Trustee for Trinity Methodist Church in Denver.

Enjoyed skiing, Judge at World Cup Skiing Championship, traveled to all 50 States and over 50 foreign countries.

Predeceased by parents, brother Norbert and son David Neumann. Survived by wife Carol, daughter Deborah (Bob), 3 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, nieces and nephew.

Memorial services held in Missouri. Ashes laid to rest at later date in Chapel Hill Cemetery, Centennial, CO.

From dinosaurs to mining and railroad history to early home and school life — the metro area has plenty of locations where families can have fun and learn a bit in the process.

Living history museums enable visitors to experience the everyday home life of ordinary people who toiled on Colorado’s farms, ranches, factories, mines, smelters and more, according to Kevin Rucker, a senior lecturer in MSU Denver’s history department.

For example, “visitors are able to visualize and empathize with what it took for women to take care of a household and raise families,” he said.

Rucker pointed to the Four-Mile House, Golden Prospect Park, Littleton Heritage Museum, Black Western History Museum, Molly Brown House as a starting point for all of the living history locations in the area. Colorado Community Media takes a look at some of the places in the metro area that provide hands-on history.

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs?

Morrison is home to two spots where families can learn about dinosaurs — Dinosaur Ridge and the Morrison Natural History Museum.

Close by is the Morrison Natural History Museum on Highway 8 just south of downtown Morrison, where families can learn more about dinosaurs. e museum is also a research center, so in addition to visiting the museum, people can take archeological trips.

Stegosaurus Day is always fun for kids as they try their hands at peeling away rocks to nd fossils.

Gold rush

Clear Creek County has several locations to learn more about Colorado’s mining history. At the Phoenix Gold Mine southwest of Idaho Springs, history comes alive as visitors go underground in a gold mine, pan for gold to try to strike it rich themselves and more.

Mine owner Dave Mosch, whose family has lived in Colorado since the 1860s, called the Phoenix Gold Mine fascinating for those who haven’t seen up close what mining was like, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He noted that the mining-support industry also brought people to Colorado — building houses, operating shops and providing personal aspects of life to miners.

“Colorado is a beautiful place, but what originally brought people here was the gold,” Mosch said. “ e more you understand mining, the more you understand the growth of our state.”

He and all of Clear Creek County are proud that the Colorado gold rush began in 1859 in the county.

Trains and more trains e founder of the Colorado Railroad Museum understood how big the railroads were to settling Colorado.

“Bob Richardson (the founder of the museum) realized that people needed to know how it all got started, how people traveled to Colorado and how hard it was,” Roni Kramer, director of education for the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, explained. “It is important to see every aspect of people’s beginnings and how they got here on the train. Honestly, it’s such an interesting story.”

While adults may be more interested in historical tidbits, children have the opportunity to check out all areas of di erent train cars. ey ring bells, move through

SEE HISTORY, P17

Dinosaur Ridge has interpretive signs along two miles of trails that explain the local geology, fossils, and many other geo- Halloween fun