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Two kids stuck by a needle in Morro Bay creek

November 10, 2015

needleTwo children were pricked by a needle on Saturday while playing in a Morro Bay Creek that is frequented by the local homeless population. It is not yet clear whether the kids contracted anything from the needle.

During soccer games at Lila Keiser Park, the children went to the creek, according to a city of Morro Bay press release. City staff contacted the children’s parents, who took the children for treatment at a local hospital.

Out of an abundance of caution, both children are scheduled to be retested in six weeks and then in six months, the city said. The city is not releasing the ages of the children.

The needle was also tested, but the test did not produce any definitive information. City staffers will continue working with the family to ensure the children are doing well, the press release states.

For some time, city officials have been concerned about similar issues in the area and have encouraged people to stay away from the creek.

Dynergy, the owner of the now-closed Morro Bay power plant, owns that portion of the creek.

Police officers frequently make contact with the homeless population in the creek. There have been 130 calls for service in the area since January, nearly half of which have been directly generated by patrol officers, according to the news release.

A creek cleanup will take place in the area on Dec. 10 and 11. The city says it is crucial to clean the creek prior to possible flooding caused by El Nino.

On Thursday, Morro Bay’s city manager and eight senior staffers toured the creak area in preparation for the cleanup.

The city encourages anyone who is concerned with public safety issues in the area to dial 911 and seek police assistance.


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So.. did it occur to anyone that the needle may have been used by a diabetic, and not a drug user?


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Yes mkaney, it’s true that creek beds are a well known meeting ground for diabetics to inject their lifesaving medications. My grandmother makes the trek to the creek to do just that. She then discards her needles on the ground before stumbling back to the Dial a ride bus back to the home. She also knits in the creek but those needles are easier for the children to spot. You nailed it!


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I also Watched Buckingham at the council meeting, making excuses for his continued lack of enforcement of the homeless sanctuary the city provides. He did highlight the city’s homeless warning, printed on parks and recreation flyers like shark warnings, telling parents to keep children away from the park creek area due to the city sanctioned infestation of druggie bums. Instead of making the parks safe, they tell citizens to keep away from the infested area. Hey Buckingham and council, it’s a city park, not a trailer park. In fact it’s the main park for sports in Morro Bay. I hope parents will rise to the occasion and either boycott MB parks and rec or take it to the council. The city has made it very clear they are unwilling to provide a safe environment for our children.

Apparently 180 plus calls to police is not important to the council. Bottom line is the parents of Morro Bay should band together and pressure the powers that be. Russia? The city is going down the wrong path being led by Buckingham. The city managers main concern is turning the city into a condo association, big brother elitist, cookie cutter town. He has decided to carbon copy all San Luis Obispo’s ordinances erasing all the things that make our town unique. Council members up for re-election? You failed us.


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How did BOTH children get pricked by the needle? Were they fighting over it? I agree with the comments that Morro Bay has gone downhill. I sure hope they clean out that encampment and rid the bums outta there.


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They might have been playing catch with it.


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How many police ‘visits’ to the Creek? 180 , so if the homeless have a problem they ‘cell phone’ for our police, ‘help’. What a waste of everything!


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Should they have used their land-lines?


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Little kids did nothing wrong, where were the parents?

Wait just a minute….we need to have a ‘study’ , send out an RFP BEFORE we can clean up anything!!


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Wow! I just watched Buckingham’s explanation of this situation. The City is giving the homeless 30 days notice that they have to move out of the creek. Meanwhile, their new code enforcement policy gives homeowners 15 day to get their trash cans out of sight from the street before the homeowner is fined. That pretty much sums up how completely out of contact with reality the current city is.


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