Fifty years in her vacation paradise

Even now, Maxine Broback can’t keep busy enough.

The 75-year-old Southern California native spends most of her time

volunteering at the Costa Mesa Senior Center, as well as the annual

Orange County Fair. She has lived in Costa Mesa for nearly 50 years

and has seen a lot of changes.

She first started coming to the area when she was a young girl

vacationing with her family from Los Angeles. They camped out when

the area was not much more than a fishing village.

Broback raised four children and has worked at a variety of jobs

-- from popcorn girl at Sears to a classifieds salesperson at the

local newspaper. Now that she’s a retiree, she spends her free time

making crafts and giving back to the community.

She sat down with the Daily Pilot’s Lindsay Sandham about spending

almost half a century in the Newport-Mesa area.

Can you tell me a good story or a good memory you have from when

you moved to the Newport Beach area in 1956?

It was just such a great place to raise your family. I had my

three sons, and I went to work for the newspaper, the old Newport

Harbor News-Press, and that’s where I met my husband Jack, who was a

reporter. His beat was Costa Mesa, so I really got to know the people

up here.

What made you decide to move to this area?

I’ve always loved it down here because of all the happiness that I

could remember as a kid, vacationing with my family down here. We

would take off, my brother and I; we would end up out on the pier

fishing; and on Sundays we would be collecting bottles and turning

them in for money. That way, we had money to go down to Balboa to the

penny arcade. It was just so full of wonderful memories and happiness

that I wanted to share it with my kids.

You worked at the newspaper. What other kinds of jobs have you

had?

When I was 15 years old, I started working at Sears, when I was in

high school. I worked in Glendale, downstairs in the peanuts and

popcorn. You’d come out reeking of popcorn because you would have to

stand over the popcorn machine. Sometimes on Friday nights, you’d

have a date after you got off work, and you’d dash over to the Alex

Theater, and all of a sudden you’d feel this arm coming around you

and somebody would go, “Mmm, I smell popcorn.”

You’ve been coming to the Senior Center for five years. What is it

you like about the center?

I just enjoy the people. I’m on the board for the gift shop, and I

work in the gift shop. I also work up at the travel desk when I’m

needed. I just recently started working at the front desk on Mondays.

It keeps you going.

What else do you do, other than volunteering at the Senior Center?

I do crafts. I also work one day a week at the Lavender Memories

florist shop in Huntington Beach, and by putting in my time there

once a week, she puts my crafts in her shop.

Have you always been very involved with the local community?

Always, always. I was president of the Business and Professional

Women’s Club twice. I really love the Orange County Fair. I do a lot

of volunteer work out there in the home and hobbies department and as

a greeter and asking people, “Please don’t touch.” And entering --

I’ve got a shoebox at home full of ribbons that I’ve won over the

years.

Do you have any stories about the people you’ve spent time with

here at the Center?

Well, I was sick a couple of years ago, and it was amazing how

many of them came up to the hospital to see me and help me that way

-- to let me know I was needed.