City retires police dog after 8 years of service

Bruno, the Belgian Malinois, is retiring after eight years of faithful service with the Roswell Police Department, but he’s not going far. He was sold for $1 to his handler, Officer Greg Cooper.

Cooper will be responsible for the future care of Bruno — a canine “trained and used as a service animal for law enforcement purposes” — under a sales agreement approved Monday by the Roswell City Council.

During Bruno’s first day on the job, he chased a suspect into a pond — the man later told police he’d rather endure waist-deep water on a 22-degree day than face the big police dog — and Bruno’s special talent was finding keys lost in the woods by officers, according to audio of the Council meeting. The city’s FY 2017 budget provides funds for the purchase and training of a new canine to replace Bruno. serve as an extension of Alpharetta Public Works to work with design firms “in making sound engineering and constructability decisions,” and preparing project specifications and information for bid packages, according to a staff report prepared for Monday’s Council meeting.

The projects include Morris Road operational improvements from Old Milton Parkway to Webb Bridge Road; roundabouts at Bethany Road and Mayfield and Mid-Broadwell roads; Kimball Bridge Road bicycle/pedestrian/operational improvements; and capacity improvements for Old Milton Parkway from Ga. 400 to State Bridge/Kimball Bridge Road; and the Windward Parkway Business District/Union Hill Road project from Ga. 9 to Union Hill Road.

Atkins also will start preparing specifications for bidding the Rucker Road corridor project.

The Council on Monday also approved three design services contracts totaling $1 million for the projects, except Rucker, to Pond & Co., Tetra Tech and AECOM. Winery Tasting Room” in the Schakolad Chocolate Factory in the Kings Plaza Shopping Center, Bill Werkheiser wrote in a letter to Roswell. The two businesses have the same ownership, said Werkheiser, whose family is Kaya’s proprietors. The shopping center is at 885 Woodstock Road.

Kaya is the “rebirth” of the Blackstock Vineyard and Winery, closed since 2012, Werkheiser said. The company said it is renovating and revitalizing the property and hopes to add a hotel, cottages and a new event facility.

Chocolate Concepts of Alpharetta LLC, doing business as Schakolad, plans to combine with Kaya under the “Taste of Kaya” name at the current Schakolad location. “We will then be able to both provide fine chocolates made here in Roswell but also fine wine made here in Georgia,” Werkheiser said. Information: http://bit.ly/2gC7Tb7

Family Storytime. 11 a.m. Monday. Free. Roswell Branch, 115 Norcross St., Roswell. Designed for all ages, this storytime explores stories, rhymes and singing. 770640-3075, afpls.org.

Family Bedtime Storytime. 6:45 p.m. Monday. Free. Northside Branch, 3295 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta. Stories, movies and snacks will be served sponsored by Friends of the Northside Branch Library. 404-814-3508, afpls.org.

Acworth/Kennesaw Health Facility to be built

Initial funding was approved 5-0 Tuesday by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners for the new Acworth/Kennesaw Health Facility.

The location will be 3810 Old Highway 41, Acworth, on a portion of the Northwest Cobb Water Reclamation Facility site. John W. Spratlin & Son was awarded the $670,089 contract for design and project fees but not construction.

Once the guaranteed maximum price has been determined by Spratlin, a recommendation with construction costs will be presented to the commissioners for their decision.

“A Merry Little Christmas Cabaret” with Kelly Chapin Martin and Kevin Harry. 8 p.m. tonight, Saturday. $25. Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square, 12 Powder Springs St., Marietta. Tickets: AtlantaLyric.com.

Wreaths Across America Ceremony. Noon Saturday. Free. Marietta Confederate Cemetery, 358 W. Atlanta St., Marietta. The Old Guard of the Gate City Guard, the Marietta Confederate Cemetery Foundation and the city of Marietta invite the community to help place wreaths to honor the fallen soldiers. Guest speaker will be Michael K. Shaffer at Brown Park, also 358 W. Atlanta St., Marietta. 770-479-9300, WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Chanukah Celebration. 7:30-9 p.m. Dec. 24. $18 adults, $10 children. Chabad of Cobb, 4450 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta. Dairy buffet dinner, latkes, donuts, music, a menorah lighting, grand dreidel game and special activities and crafts for children. 770-565-4412.