fishing ( the Happiest . of New Years - Stage 6' Co's cole slaw is pinpointed as the source of the hepatitis outbreak in Oakland County. to all our friends and customers JULIE EDGAR Senior Writer ka, Mon.-Sat. 10 - 6 Thurs. 10 - 9 Its All In The Mix WOODWARD CAMERA BIRMINGHAM 4 BLOCKS NORTH OF 14 MILE the experts. to cone to... WE BEAT LOCALLY ADVERTISED PRICES! $399.95 • Built-in auto flash - DAYS NL 35-080 zoom • Easy to learn • Great pictures 1st roll . NIKON N70 ., .. .:.:-.„.. ffi , : . ::::,"•, DAYS NL ' , , ' ., q474.95 • 5 exp. Modes *Fast auto focus *Complete exp. Control *with zoom lens purchase 50% OFF 9/26 1997 10 Select NIKON BINOCULARS hyllis Payson loves the chopped liver and chicken soup at Stage & Co. restau- rant in West Bloomfield. Not only does the West Bloomfield resident eat at or take out from the Orchard Lake Road deli at least once a week, but she usually buys its liver and soup to complement her holiday table. Not this year. "This will affect my Stage habit for a while. It's too fresh in my mind," Payson said Tuesday after Oakland County health officials named Stage as the source of the hepatitis outbreak that has sickened 43 people in Oakland County since early August and may have led to the Sept. 7 death of 67- year-old Martin Olshansky of West Bloomfield. County officials announced in a press conference that the source of the hepatitis virus was cole slaw that was eaten on Aug. 5, 6 and 9. The Stage imports cabbage that is already chopped and packaged and mixes it in the restaurant. However, officials couldn't deter- mine if the slaw was contaminated dur- ing preparation or when a server han- dled it. They said only that the threat of infection has passed. Martin Olshansky's widow, Pearl, said her husband ate at the Stage a few times each week, and most likely had been there the week he fell ill. "I'm just numb, and I'm glad they know where it's coming from so other people are aware," she said Tuesday. Her husband also suffered from emphysema. Sandy Wiatrak, a regular at the Jewish Community Center's health club in West Bloomfield, said the news about the Stage was the "talk of the men's club" Tuesday. He himself rarely dines at the restau- rant, and "I don't know if I'll ever go now," he said. But, Wiatrak added, "If it was a [food] handler, I don't blame the restaurant. However, if [the food] ED 271 W. Maple Downtown Birmingham 258.0212 NIKON N50 ..-i*. NEW SCRAPBOOKING CENTER 33501 WOODWARD AVENUE- . BIRMINGHAM • 642-1985 EXP 10/2/97 Slaw Is The Culprit was old, it's a different circumstance altogether." Rhea Berger said she doesn't often eat at the Stage but now won't go there at all. "Truthfiilly, I wouldn't go back. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth," she said. Stage owner Steve Goldberg said the restaurant is implementing a host of precautionary measures that include putting the slaw preparation exclusively in the hands of the head chef. Counter workers previously mixed the cole slaw, he said. Also, a new batch of slaw will be mixed every day, all Stage employees will be required to wash their hands every 20 minutes, the use of plastic dis- "My concern is my customers ), and employees. — Steve Goldberg posable gloves will be expanded, and a consultant will be brought in to make recommendations on tightening health standards in the restaurant, Goldberg said. One Stage waiter is out sick with -a confirmed case of hepatitis, an inflam- mation of the liver that causes flu-like symptoms and jaundice. Another wait- er also is ill, but the diagnosis is uncer- tain, Goldberg said. Since county health workers began their investigation, all Stage employees have been immunized against the virus. Goldberg said the Stage serves 1,000 customers daily and sells 400 pounds of cole slaw each week. Whether or not business is affected by the news, he said, is not his immediate concern. "My concern right now is my cus- tomers and employees. Any impact on sales is secondary," Goldberg said. Isolating the cause of the hepatitis outbreak meant interviewing, in some —/ cases twice, every person diagnosed with the virus. Rosemarie Rowney, manager of Oakland County's Health Division, said officials looked at gro- cery stores that the victims frequented, as well as other restaurants before zero- \I ing in on the Stage. Dr. Carolyn Bird, chief of the county's medical services, said the investigation entailed talking to the companions of those affected to find out where and what they ate dur- ing the period of exposure. By last Sunday, the county conclud- ed that the cole slaw at Stage was the culprit. The Michigan Department of Agriculture is checking out the supplier of the cabbage used for the cole slaw to ensure that the contamination did not happen in the field or en route to the restaurant. Ronald L. Grimes, administrator of environmental health services for Oakland County, said the Stage will not be cited for any violations nor given a fine. "There are no mechanisms for fin- ing," he said. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson praised Goldberg at Tuesday's press conference for his equa- nimity during an obviously rough time. "Mr. Goldberg stepped up to the plate. He was extremely cooperative," he said. And Patterson announced that he and his staff and other restaurateurs in the area would show their confidence in the Stage by dining there on Wednesday.