Articles by Steven Gilchrist

Originally established in 1980, the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) was created to reduce the amount of paperwork that individuals, businesses, nonprofit institutions, schools and local & state governments would be responsible for pertaining to information disseminated from the federal government. Section 3504 of the PRA authorizes the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop and implement policies related to paperwork reduction, records management, and maintaining the privacy of consumer information. Updates were made to the PRA when the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.L.104-13) was enacted. The Act was established on October 1, 1995 by the 104th United States Congress. For more information about the Paperwork Reduction Act visit:  Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) | Bureau of Justice Assistance (ojp.gov)

Brockton, MA. - On March 10, 1941 the Strand Theatre in Brockton, Massachusetts was destroyed by a fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown.  Thirteen Brockton firefighters died in the Strand Theatre fire. Their names are inscribed on the Brockton Fighters Strand Theatre Fire Memorial outside of Brockton city hall. Brockton Firefighters Memorial The names of the thirteen firefighters are inscribed in gold on the front of a granite memorial.  The memorial was dedicated on May 10, 2008. For more information about the Memorial visit Skylight Studios: Brockton Firefighters Strand Theatre Fire Memorial – Skylight Studios, Inc. (skylightstudiosinc.com)

The Taft-Hartley Act, also known as the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, is a federal law in the United States that restricts the influence of labor unions.  Despite being vetoed by U.S. President Harry S. Truman, t he Act was passed into law on June 23, 1947. The legislation was initially introduced by U.S. Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (R-NJ) on April 10, 1947. The Taft-Hartley Act amended the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  According to the National Labor Relations Board: "The Taft-Hartley Act made major changes to the Wagner Act. Although Section 7 was retained intact in the revised law, new language was added to provide that employees had the right to refrain from participating in union or mutual aid activities except that they could be required to become members in a union as a condition of employment. Taft-Hartley defined six additional unfair labor practices, reflecting Congress' perception that some union conduct also needed correction. The Act

Frank Grant plaque - Williamstown, MA. Williamstown, MA. - Ulysses Franklin "Frank" Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on August 1, 1865. Grant was considered to be one of the best African American baseball players of the 19th century. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Grant was one of the most influential baseball players in the early Negro Leagues. In 2006, Grant was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. There is a plaque dedicated to Frank Grant in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he lived with his family for several years.

H.R. 7207, also known as the Raker Bill and the Hetch Hetchy Bill, was introduced into the U.S. Congress by Congressman John E. Raker (D-CA). Also referred to as the Raker Act, this legislative act granted the city of San Francisco, California the right to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park. More specifically, the Raker Act allowed for the building of the O'Shaughnessy Dam and flood the Hetch Hetchy Valley. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill into law on December 19, 1913. Construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923.

SAN FRANCISO, C.A. - Phoebe Apperson Hearst (December 3, 1842 - April 13, 1919) was born in St. Clair, Missouri. Hearst was a philanthropist and suffragist. Her husband, George Hearst, was a U.S. senator. Throughout Phoebe Hearst's life she advocated for various social causes. She was the founder of the University of California Museum of Anthropology and the co-founder of the National Parent-Teacher Association. Phoebe Hearst was also the first woman to serve as a regent for the University of California, Berkeley.  Hearst Fountain - San Francisco, CA There is a memorial dedicated to Phoebe Hearst at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The Phoebe Hearst Fountain is located in front of the California Academy of Sciences.