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Inspired by family, Costa Mesa Realtor re-creates citywide holiday contest from 1960s
Kendra Fisher was clearing out the garage of her grandparents’ Costa Mesa home during the pandemic, when she discovered a box of trophies and Daily Pilot newspaper clippings that shed light on a lesser-known part of her family history. From 1959 well into the ’60s, John and Rosalie O’Brien were recognized as the winners of a citywide holiday decoration competition, even nabbing top prizes in an “Inter-city Yule Contest,” for large-scale displays that would have families lining up around the block just to get a glimpse. “My grandpa was super creative — they built a train set and a huge rocket — people knew he was going to do something…