Who: Charlie Stemper.
Neighborhood association: Marrion.
Neighborhood location: East Clark County, near Walmart on Interstate 205 and Mill Plain Boulevard.
Position: President.
Tenure: Two years.
Lived in neighborhood: 19 years.
Outside job: Retired.
What he likes best about the neighborhood: Stemper loves the people in his neighborhood. “If you say, ‘Hi,’ they’ll say ‘Hi,’ back. Neighborhood as a whole is full of nice people.” He isn’t aware of much crime going on within the neighborhood streets and has no intention of leaving.
The biggest challenge facing the neighborhood: Stemper is concerned about continuing growth in his neighborhood. High-density housing is being built on an already busy street with no sidewalks and too far away from the neighborhood park, he said. Parks give people, especially youth, a place to go and can prevent crime, he said. Stemper hopes to prevent Walmart from becoming the youth hangout in his neighborhood.
Listen up: “Let’s continue to have a greater dialogue where we exchange ideas to benefit both neighborhoods and the city.” Stemper said the city, neighborhoods and businesses all need to work together to make the most out of Vancouver.
