NEW CASTLE A visit from the French

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Four French professionals are visiting Lawrence and Mercer counties as part of an international exchange program.
The men are part of a monthlong Rotary Group Study Exchange and will be staying with families in New Castle through Saturday. They have spent the last three weeks visiting communities in northwestern Pennsylvania.
They took a tour of New Wilmington Amish country Wednesday and were expected to tour several Sharon businesses today.
Art Towne, the district group study exchange chairman from New Castle, said the biennial exchange is meant to improve relations with other countries. Rotary International pays for all travel and lodging expenses, he said.
Sharon and New Castle Rotary Clubs are planning to send young professionals from the Lawrence and Mercer counties to France next year, he said. Those eligible must be ages 25 to 40 and will be accompanied by a Rotarian team leader on the monthlong visit.
Towne said they try to spend a portion of the trip visiting businesses relating to each person's profession. He said one of the French visitors is a dealer of rare antique books and was taken to several area libraries to check out local rare book collections.
The French visitors are expected to go to McConnell's Mill State Park and Pittsburgh before returning home Sunday, Towne said.