York Town Square

This photograph from ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ at the Keefer home in Newberry Township, Pa., shows the scene on the fourth day. Today, the Keefer family will see the result of this swarm of workers. For an updated glimpse of what the family will see, visit: Catch some glimpses or see below. (Also, see time-lapse scenes of week-long rehab work on the home below.) Also of interest: York County, Pa., educator recounts machete attack on ‘I Survived…’ and Preakness, TV’s ‘Bachelor’ tied to York County and Death-row survivor Ray Krone of York County hopes book will open eyes about capital punishment.

York County residents have shown great prowess in gaining appearances on – and occasionally winning – TV reality shows. One count of York County gigs on reality shows tops 10.
What is it about York County that would send our folks to TV studios to tell their stories and to occasionally make fools of themselves?
Well, some reality shows actually have merit… .

The current “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” project in Newberry Township is one such example. “American Pickers” is another.
Our news organization will cover renovations to the Keefer home to their wonderful end.
The “Extreme Makeover” work goes beyond providing better digs for a deserving family.
It has brought the community together, with businesses donating supplies, volunteers providing labor and spectators taking it all in.
It’s like a weeklong homecoming or a festival with a purpose.
The renovated home will better serve Brian Keefer, who fractured and dislocated vertebrae in his neck in a gymnastics accident in 2008. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down.
So, reality TV is doing a good thing in northern York County.
As for other reality shows with lesser altruistic merit, no York-bred “American Idol” contestants have risen to the top yet.
It’s probably just a matter of time.

The renovated Keefer home as it appears on Sunday awaits the family’s first glimpse.

Also of interest:
– For a list of previous reality show participants from York County, see: Monica and ‘The Bachelor.’
– A special website highlights news and photo coverage of the Newberry Township “Extreme Makeover” project.”
– ‘History Detectives’ solves mystery of photo bought at Gettysburg.
– American Picker goes antiquing in New Oxford, Pa..

Time-lapse scenes capture ‘Extreme Makeover’ event.
Archives
– All York Town Square posts from the start. Then use “find” function on browser to search for keywords.
– Of course, you can always search for York Town Square posts on Google. For example, when you search for yorktownsquare and Newberry Township, you get this.
*Photos courtesy of York Daily Record/Sunday News
**This post was adapted from an earlier York Town Square post: Monica and ‘The Bachelor’. It appeared in the York Sunday News, 6/26/11.