Health Officials Find Quincy House Violations

Cambridge Health Department officials inspecting the kitchen at Harvard's Quincy House last week discovered seven violations of the state sanitary code, according to a report released to the City Council last night.

Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci had ordered the Quincy inspection because of a suspected outbreak of salmonella food poisoning there earlier this month.

Although the city health officials found "no salmonella food poisoning involved," they did find sanitary problems, including "utensils spotted and encrusted," "stained" coffee cups, "spotted and encrusted" pans, and "dusty" overhead light fixtures.

Senior Sanitary Inspector Joseph M. Nicoloro stated that the Quincy kitchen needs "general cleaning" under and between all equipment, floor, walls, ceilings, and hoods, Nicoloro also ordered Quincy workers to clean several other areas of the kitchen.

About 25 Quincy students were treated for a stomach illness at University Health Services (UHS) on March 4 and 5, according to hospital officials.

"No common link was found that would suggest foodborine illness," UHS Director Dr. Warren E. Wacker stated in a letter to Nicoloro last week.

"It would appear that this illness was of viral origin," Wacker added.

Russell Absent

An expected debate on an exemption to the city's tough anti-condominium ordinances for residents of 36-42 Linnaean St. and 4-6 Washington Ave. was postponed last night because of the absence of Conservative Independent Councilor Leonard J. Russell.

In other action, the council gave final approval to an amendment of city codes that will increase the annual license fee for video and pinball games in the city from $20 to $100.

According to existing state law municipalities may charge no more than $100 for each annual entertainment machine license. But the council last night also approved a home-rule petition to the legislature that would allow Cambridge to charge up to $3000 for an initial amusement license and up to $1000 annually thereafter.