Snoopy House is a house in Southern California known for its Christmas displays. Jim Jordan created the display of Snoopy and other characters from Charles Schulz's "Peanuts"about forty-five years ago.
Mr. Jordan is sixty now. He started the project as a teenager in the yellow, single-story house in Costa Mesa where he was raised. Litle by little, Jim Jordan expanded the display until it became a holiday tradition. Thousands of people came each year to see the Christmas lights, the artificial snow─even a Santa Claus that flew through the air and down a chimney. Snoopy House became so popular that countless visitors and school groups came each year. Some people who grew up visiting the display were now old enough to take their own children.
But last year Jim Jordan lost the house. It was closed because he stopped paying his loan. Mr. Jordan felt terrible that he couldn't bring that to the community. Several years ago, Mr. Jordan's business fell along with the economy. He asked for changes in the loan terms, but was denied. He followed poor legal advice and stopped paying the loan. As a result, he lost his family's home. It was closed in November last year, Afterwards, Mr. Jordan submitting legal papers to try to get his house back, but in vain. When neighbors learmed the news about Snoopy House. They collected donations and called reporters to try to help Jordan fight to recover the house.
Earlier this month Costa Mesa city officials offered to host the display on the lawn outside City Hall. The lights went on last week in a song-filled ceremony attended by a large crowd, who were very happy that Costa Mesa came forward and the display found a new home at City Hall─temporarily called Snoopy Hall. It's really a miracle.
