Public health report: One citation in public school, university food service inspections

The city’s Health Department inspected seven of Waltham’s public schools in late January and early February. 

One school, the Henry Whittemore Elementary School, received a critical public health violation for a handwash station that was operating incorrectly. The other six schools — Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Fitzgerald Elementary School, John F Kennedy Middle School, Northeast Elementary School, Thomas R Plympton Elementary School and Waltham High School — passed on their first inspections.

The food service for a private school, Lumen Academy, also passed its first inspection. 

Out of all the restaurants the department inspected during the same period, it noted that 11 were associated with the Brandeis or Bentley campuses. All of those restaurants passed their first inspections with the exception of the 921 Café at Bentley University.

In total, the department cited one out of 14 local restaurants and six out of 33 retail stores for health violations during its inspections in late January and early February. 

The restaurants and retail stores cited during this window have since addressed all of their violations, according to the department. 

Health complaints

Additionally, the Health Department acted on five new housing complaints reported to the department between Jan. 20 and Feb. 24. 

The department resolved one complaint it received on Jan. 21 of mice in an apartment. It also received two complaints of mice and insects and two complaints related to insufficient heating or insulation that it deemed were supported by evidence, which it is still in the process of resolving. 

During that period, the department also resolved all outstanding housing, trash and rodent complaints it had received earlier in January.

Retail and restaurants

Below is a summary of the violations at each of the five retail establishments and restaurants where inspectors found violations between Jan. 20 and Feb. 24. Violations that inspectors designated as critical are marked with an asterisk. 

Veronica’s, 1074 Main St., on Jan. 21

Inspectors identified the following instance of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• The store stocked outdated crackers and cookies that it needed to dispose of.

The owners were given five days to address this issue, which was corrected by the time of publication.

Easy Convenience, Beer & Wine, 26 Elm St., on Jan. 22

Inspectors identified the following instance of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• The bathroom required cleaning.

The owners were given five days to address this issue, which was corrected by the time of publication.

Family Dollar, 309 Moody St., on Jan. 22

Inspectors identified the following instances of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• Dumpsters were not closed at all times.
• The store stocked outdated deli meats and cereal that it needed to dispose of.

The owners were given five days to address these issues, which were corrected by the time of publication.

7-Eleven, 131 Lexington St., on Jan. 23

Inspectors identified the following instance of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• The store did not display all required tobacco signage.

The owners were given five days to address this issue, which was corrected by the time of publication.

Tikal Market, 35–37 Lexington St., on Jan. 23

Inspectors identified the following instance of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• The store stocked moldy bread that it needed to dispose of.

The owners were given five days to address this issue, which was corrected by the time of publication.

Ocean State Job Lot, 90 River St., on Jan. 27

Inspectors identified the following instances of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• The store needed to remove birdseed and dog food from an area that had been affected by a mouse infestation.
• The department required an updated pest control report from the store.

The owners were given five days to address these issues, which were corrected by the time of publication.

921 Café at Bentley University, 125 Forest St., on Feb. 10

Inspectors identified the following instances of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• The floors behind the café’s fryolators required cleaning.
• An air vent in the dishwashing room required cleaning.

The school was given five days to address these issues, which were corrected by the time of publication.

Henry Whittemore Elementary School, 30 Parmenter Road, on Feb. 12

Inspectors identified the following instances of noncompliance with Waltham’s safety regulations:

• Hot water in handwash sinks was set at lower than required temperatures. *
• Dumpsters were not closed at all times.

The school was given 24 hours to address these issues, which were corrected by the time of publication.

About Health Department inspections

The city’s Health Department conducts regular inspections of housing and food establishments to ensure compliance with the city’s safety codes. Twice a year it inspects each of the city’s restaurants, schools, lodging houses, nursing homes and any other businesses that serve food or are regulated by specific Waltham health codes to make sure they comply with the city’s safety regulations. Its inspectors also investigate complaints about pests, trash management on private properties and other environmental hazards.

It’s common for establishments to have minor violations during inspections, and when a business is found to be unsatisfactory, the department sets a deadline for the owners to correct any violations — usually five days from the date of inspection. Health Department Inspector Ivan Colon told The Waltham Times that restaurants and other businesses generally resolve all of their violations by the deadline. 

Colon said if the Health Department finds a violation at a restaurant or other food establishment that causes immediate and severe health concerns, or finds three or more violations the department counts as “critical,” it will close the business until it determines the business is safe for patrons.

All information was obtained from public records requests to the Waltham Health Department.