Purple Line Bidder Denies Holocaust Ties, Records Show Otherwise — Keolis, the Rockville-based affiliate of French rail company SNCF, denied taking payment to transport Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust. A spokesman for the company, which is bidding to build and operate the Purple Line, said the rail service was “conscripted” into doing so during World War II. But a bill sent to the French government is said by some to be proof that the rail service willingly transported Jews. Maryland lawmakers have proposed a bill that would require companies bidding on state contracts that have Holocaust ties to pay reparations before being eligible. Keolis denied the records cited by bill advocates prove the company took money. [The Gazette]
Bethesda Heroin Addict Tells His Story — Bethesda native Ben Cimons grew up in a nice Bethesda neighborhood with a single mother who never drank, smoked cigarettes or used any illegal substances. But Cimons got hooked on heroin, a drug that has become more prevalent in all types of areas across the East Coast. [Washington Post]
Home Remodeling Firm Opening On Wisconsin Ave. — KBR Kitchen and Bath will open at 7008 Wisconsin Ave., in Chevy Chase near Bradley Boulevard. [Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row]
Local Pol Starts Local Politics Blog — For those interested in local and state politics, Town of Chevy Chase council member and American University Government professor David Lublin has re-started the popular Maryland Politics Watch blog as “Seventh State.” [Seventh State]
