Benefit 'well' ad Elmira Store cafe

ELMIRA — An out-of-date water well recently forced the Elmira Store restaurant out of business, but owner Ed Cook hopes a June fundraiser will raise enough money to bring the popular eatery back to life.

In January, Panhandle Health District officials told Cook that his food establishment license would not be renewed after coliform — a bacteria — was found in the restaurant’s water system, according to PHD’s Cynthia Taggart.

Taggart said the bacteria does not necessarily mean the well is contaminated, but said the discovery raised enough red flags to deny the license.

In order to come up to Idaho Code, Cook needs to either add a new commercial well or relocate his septic tank, which would likely cost thousands of dollars.

To raise money for the new well, Cook is hosting a June 7 fundraiser at the store with live music and food. He also established savings accounts at Wells Fargo branches in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry for those who wish to contribute to the well fund.

Despite PHD’s ruling, Cook said he is confident his water is safe, and said his regular customers agree.

“They’re very upset with the health department,” Cook said. “See, there’s nothing wrong with our water, it’s just that the well was put in 1940 and it’s only 13 feet away from the restrooms and they said, under current code, that that’s not acceptable.”

Cook said he was forced to lay off 13 workers when the restaurant closed its doors, but he is optimistic he will eventually be able to rehire them.

“We’d start smaller because being shut down took a lot away from our cash flow, so we’d probably start out with maybe four or five full-time girls and bring the others back down the road,” he said.

The fundraiser, which begins at 11 a.m., is open to the public. For more information, call Jenny or Sandy at the Elmira Store at 263-6299