How a touch of Palatine wound up in Fontenay-le-Comte, France

There's a touch of Palatine in western France these days.

Residents of Fontenay-le-Comte, France erected a wooden replica of the village's Volunteer Plaza clock tower as a way to honor the relationship between the two communities, which have been sister cities for more than 20 years.

Nghi Loi Pappas, president of the Sister Cities Association of Palatine, visited Fontenay-le-Comte this summer with other association members and got to see the replica firsthand.

"It was a great surprise for us," Pappas said.

She showed a photo of the replica during a presentation before the village council earlier this month, when Sister Cities was honored for running the village's farmers market.

Later this month, Sister Cities will donate and install four granite picnic tables and surrounding landscaping near the farmers market, which is held near the Palatine Metra Station every Saturday morning.