I'm Karen Larsen. A lifetime of writing, which began with a part time job typing up birth announcements and obituaries for a local newspaper while I was still in high school and included 15 years as director of public relations for the Maine Township high schools, has led me full circle to the passion I pursue now with Generation Connection,www.generationconnection.net. Everyone has a story. I help people understand the value of the legacy that is locked up in their memories and pass that legacy on to subsequent generations in a tangible way. That passion led to my work with Park Ridge Historic Tours, where I learned about Alfonso Iannelli and the rich artistic legacy of Park Ridge and the artist's colony that flourished in the town at the turn of the 20th Century and beyond. I have been actively involved with the Saving Iannelli Studios initiatve spearheaded by The Kalo Foundation of Park Ridge and look forward to bringing you the story of that art colony and the progress we make with the restoration of Iannelli Studios Heritage Center.  Work has already begun on the facility that will be transformed into cultural center combining elements of a museum, visitor’s center and artist's studio.  Iannelli Studios was named the third most endangered historic site in Illinois by Landmarks Illinois and is one of a hundred historic sites nationwide recognized in the National Historic Preservation Trust This Place Matters Community Challenge for 2011.