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By: Tony Farina

Sometimes, even in the darkest of days, there’s a ray of sunshine to cheer the moment.  Just ask Paul Kalinowski and his sister, both of them senior citizens suffering from serious and chronic health problems, about that sliver of light they received last Saturday.

It was definitely a sunny day in more ways than one for Paul and his sister as their one-story home at 233 Edward St. in North Tonawanda received a free paint job thanks to being selected for the 9th Annual Project H.O.P.E (helping others paint exteriors) job.

“It is definitely a labor of love,” says Jesse Gooch as he and his crew from Painters Plus went about their work on the home which hadn’t received a coat of paint since the early 1970s.

Gooch, a Niagara County legislator, and his crew looked in great spirits as they surrounded the small home on a quiet residential block and cheerfully went about their charitable painting work for the occupants who remained inside as their house received a completely new look.

North Tonawanda Mayor Arthur Pappas and other city officials took part in the Project H.O.P.E. effort and family and friends of the workers set up a small stand in front of the home to provide refreshments.  The Sherwin Williams store in North Tonawanda completed the community effort by supplying the paint for the work.

As we said at the beginning of this little item, sometimes even in the darkest of days, the sun can break through and provide some temporary relief to people who are in pain or need a lift.  That’s what happened last Saturday in North Tonawanda, and thanks to Project H.O.P.E., it will be shining again next year.