After focusing on 1994 last week, now, we're wondering what the best year for music was of the '90s. We've already made a case for1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996and1997. Now here are the final two years of the decade -- 1998 and 1999.

If there's a theme to the music landscape in 1998, it's "pure chaos." Too late to be defined by the alt-rock MTV boom, too early to be saturated in teen-pop gloss, '98 is the decade's black sheep year full of crossover curios and blossoming genre revivals. Glancing through the year's list of Number One singles is more than a tad disorienting.

First off, it was one hell of a year for distinctive one-hit-wonders from Eagle-Eye Cherry (the ubiquitous folk-pop jam "Save Tonight") to Semisonic (the distorted bar-stool anthem "Closing Time") to Marcy Playground (the mumbly alt-rock staple "Sex and Candy"). In '98, American radio couldn't rake in these one-offs fast enough, and compile them on the now-booming Now! compilation series.

But the sonic free-for-all also extended to established artists. Innovative rap acts were implanting their hooks into the mainstreamtake DMX's "Ruff Ryders' Anthem," with a vocal style as piercing as a gunshot, or Big Pun's ultra-smooth "Still Not a Player," which beat Ariana Grande to the Latin-piano punch with its Brenda Russell-sampled groove.

Elsewhere, Britney Spears ("...Baby One More Time") and *N SYNC ("I Want You Back") fanned the flames of the teen-pop revival; the Dixie Chicks brought a polished brand of country to the pop arena, pairing Texas twang with breezy production; and the Artist Formerly Known as the Fresh Prince became a family-friendly rap-pop titan, convincing millions of the record-buyers to avoid their better judgment and "get jiggy wit it." It was also a tough year to make an Year-End albums list just look at all the classic LPs on that Pazz & Jop poll: Outkast's stank-tastic Dirty South epic Aquemini, Lauryn Hill's Grammy-decorated neo-soul landmark The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Neutral Milk Hotel's indie-rock watermark In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

In 2014, our dividing genre lines have become fainter these days, pop stars often sound like rock stars who sound like country stars (pretty sure Taylor Swift is all of those at once). This can lead to innovative cross-pollination but it can also foster lukewarm homogeny, exemplifying our shuffle-driven culture's desire to be everywhere at once.

Back in '98, however, the airwaves and the TRLcountdowns were confusingly eclectic. And much more fascinating because of it.

Continued here:
Why 1998 Was the Best Musical Year of the '90s

TOWNSEND -- October is Massachusetts Archaeology month, and the Townsend Historical Society will be participating with "A Village Hooped in Steel: A Walking Tour of Fessenden Hill" from 1-2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The tour will start at the New Hampshire end of Fessenden Hill Road. Join us to explore one of Townsend's forgotten neighborhoods, where cellar holes, the landscape and research into the records illuminate part of the town's past.

Architectural Historian Ryan Hayward, of the Preservation Collaborative Inc. in Medford, will lead a 90-minute long excursion through the northern portion of Fessenden Hill Road. Guests will enjoy a leisurely, in-depth tour of the remnants of life and work along the road.

The tour offers a rare opportunity to learn the stories of the people who once called this place home and how Townsend State Forest came into being.

The cost is $10 or free for THS members. Dress casually with comfortable shoes for walking along a fairly level dirt road. Space is limited, so plan to arrive early. Guests should meet at the Fessenden Hill Road gate; park on the cul-de-sac at 40 West Hill Road in Brookline. For information, contact the Townsend Historical Society at 978-597-2106, or visit preservationcollaborative.com.

The rain date is Oct. 19 at the same time and place.

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Society to host Fessenden Hill tour

The city has been working to encourage a green rethinking of the urban landscape.

It is supporting efforts such as green roofs and blue roofs that help to absorb rainwater that would otherwise drain into the sewer systems. Such projects may, in turn, lead to healthier waterways, cleaner air and cooler temperatures during the summer.

Now the citys Department of Environmental Protection is calling for applications, due Nov. 13, for more than $5 million in funding for green projects throughout the five boroughs.

This is the fourth round of funding, and several green projects have already flourished. Here are six of them.

The green roof at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene is designed to absorb 435,000 gallons of stormwater a year. The vegetation acts as insulation, lowering the building's energy costs. And students get hands-on courses in the environment and sciences. (Credit: NYC DEP)

The Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop farming business at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, produces some 50,000 pounds of produce each year. It received a $592,730 grant from the DEP. Besides produce, there are also hens and a commercial apiary! (Credit: NYC DEP)

The 3,140-square-foot Gil Hodges Community Garden is located in Gowanus. The New York Restoration Project won the support of the DEP to help install a rain garden or bioswale as well as to retrofit the garden with permeable pavers and flood-tolerant plants. (Credit: NYC DEP)

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House on East 70th Street is a 120-year-old social welfare organization. But just because it is old, doesn't mean it isn't looking toward the future their effort to create a green roof and garden being good examples of that. The project was finished with a $40,000 grant from the DEP. The 2,400 square foot green roof was designed to lower the building's energy costs. (Credit: NYC DEP )

The Osborne Association, a nonprofit that helps ex-convicts get jobs, received a $288,000 grant from the DEP to install blue and green roofs at its building in the South Bronx. The project was designed to handle 100,000 gallons of stormwater a year. (Credit: NYC DEP)

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Making NYC greener: City funding projects for green roofs, blue roofs, rain gardens

Parade of Homes

This hill is an integral feature in the landscape plan at the Maves Construction home on 22 1/2 Road. Theres a putting green on top of the hill, as well as a waterfall and waterslide that both drop into the pool on the other side of the hill. The zipline also starts on the top and takes the adventurous out across the irrigation pond to a landing pad on the other side.

Staff

This hill is an integral feature in the landscape plan at the Maves Construction home on 22 1/2 Road. Theres a putting green on top of the hill, as well as a waterfall and waterslide that both drop into the pool on the other side of the hill. The zipline also starts on the top and takes the adventurous out across the irrigation pond to a landing pad on the other side.

Although the homeowners didnt want to irrigate their yard due to erosion concerns, they did want a small putting green in the back yard overlooking the river. Walterscheids WaterFree Grass offered a solution with this putting green, which uses synthetic grass that never needs mowing, fertilizing or irrigating.

Staff

Although the homeowners didnt want to irrigate their yard due to erosion concerns, they did want a small putting green in the back yard overlooking the river. Walterscheids WaterFree Grass offered a solution with this putting green, which uses synthetic grass that never needs mowing, fertilizing or irrigating.

Homeowners are encouraged to landscape with xeric principles at Spyglass Ridge, which doesnt mean rocks and cactus, but with native and low-water use plants. The landscape at the G.J. Gardner home on Lookout Lane has minimal lawn in the front, but lots of colorful perennials to add interest in the front, side and back yard.

Staff

Homeowners are encouraged to landscape with xeric principles at Spyglass Ridge, which doesnt mean rocks and cactus, but with native and low-water use plants. The landscape at the G.J. Gardner home on Lookout Lane has minimal lawn in the front, but lots of colorful perennials to add interest in the front, side and back yard.

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Beyond curb appeal: Landscape creates inviting outdoor spaces

TV PRESENTER Kevin McClouds housing company is the latest firm to consider building new homes in Cumnor Hill overlooking Oxford.

Followng this latest application a Cumnor parish councillor said the area was coming under intense pressure from developers.

HAB Housing, established by the host of Channel 4s Grand Designs in 2007, has submitted plans for six luxury homes.

The plans for land between 79 Cumnor Hill and 1 Delamare Way have been submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council.

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Mr McClouds company says the proposal is eco-friendly.

According to HAB Housing, the landscape design features a sustainable urban drainage system which will store and re-use surface water.

This will provide a natural alternative to channelling surface water through sewers to nearby watercourses, which can result in downstream flooding.

An artist's impression of the homes

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Grand designs of six luxury homes must pass council test

Not happy: Maurice Deveze, David Templeman and Stephen Gaffey with his son Jim are unhappy with the ACTPLA about the townhouses to be built in Red Hill. Photo: Jay Cronan

Red Hill residents have expressed their disappointment after ACTPLA approved plans for the first townhouses on a quiet street in the leafy suburb.

The ACTPLA delegate said the proposed development, criticised by oneresident aslooking like an ocean liner,would provide an "interesting frontage" and make a positive contribution to the streetscape of Borrowdale Street.

David Templeman, chairman of the streets' residents' association,saida meetingnext week would allow a decision on whether to appeal the approval to ACAT.

"It is disappointing," he said.

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"I don't think they've given due consideration to the streetscape and privacy concerns of residents."

The 28 objectionsto theplans on a short roadwith 19 propertiesincluded fearsthe buildings - four dwellings with four connected garages - would undermine the area's character and neighbours' privacy.

The decision, dated September 25, noted the existing dual occupancies on the street and the multi-unit developments in "close proximity" inthe same zone.

The delegate said landscaping out the front of the building, including a condition which required some semi-mature plants, would ensure the street'slandscape environment was enhanced.

Originally posted here:
Residents unhappy about Red Hill townhouses

Blueprints

Report by BECKY PARKER Saturday, October 4, 2014 2:00 PM

THE owner of a patch of amenity land in Weston is appealing to the Government inspector after his plans to build an eco-home were rejected by North Somerset Council.

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The controversial plans to build the grass-roofed house on green space off Beechmount Close, a quiet cul-de-sac in the town, were thrown out by the authority earlier this year.

At the planning meeting, ward councillor Peter Bryant presented a petition to the council and residents made heartfelt pleas to turn the application down.

North Somersets refusal notice claimed the development would look out of place compared to neighbouring houses and would not enhance the landscape.

But landowner Mark Dodgson has written to the Government asking for the plans for a one-storey property to be revisited.

The field was awarded the status of amenity land because of its openness and visual significance to the community.

It had remained untouched for almost 35 years but Mr Dodgson began scraping up the grass and removing trees in 2012. The residents managed to halt the clearance and the council put a tree protection order over the land, but Mr Dodgson has pushed on with his planning application.

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Appeal for hill house

Its an autumn tradition that is as much about the colorful creations inside Monadnock artists studios as the vibrant hues painting the Granite State landscape along the way.

The sixth annual Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour turns up the hues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday of next weekend - Oct. 11-12.

The event will highlight paintings, drawings, jewelry, fiber arts, photography, sculpture glass, pottery and woodturning in a self-guided tour through the picturesque region.

In all, 26 artists in 19 studios will participate.

Among them are: Antrim paintings by Linda Dessaint, 52 Main St., and glass works by Alex Kalish, 35 Old Carr Road; Keene paintings, drawings and etchings by Bob Askey, 90 Bradford Road, and colored pencil works by Sue Doyle, 119 Stearns Road.

Pottery by Shana Brautigam from her Pottery Studio -208 Middle Winchendon Rd. in Rindge, N.H.

In addition: Munsonville woodturned pieces by Bob Englund, 17 Cameron Cove, paintings by Mary Alice Fox and David Bulger, 1 Mill Pond Road, and paintings by Susan Kingsbury, 558 Granite Lake Road; Nelson paintings by Frankie Brackley Tolman, 43 Nubanusit Road (second floor) and paintings by Mary Wood Cornog, 133 Nubanusit Road.

Also New Ipswich sculpture by Gerry Friedman and encaustics by D.M. Le Bris, 239 Main St., watercolors and colored pencil works by Roland Coates, 410 Ashby Road, and abstract paintings by John OBrien and landscapes, still lifes, abstracts and figurative works by Judith Prager, 88 Upper Pratt Pond Road; Rindge pottery by Shana Brautigam and oil painter Anne Murray, 208 Middle Winchendon Road; Spofford photography by Jeffrey Newcomer, 373 Route 9A; Stoddard paintings by Richard Whitney and Sandy Sherman, 100 Chalet Drive, and woodturned works and photography by Lindsay Freese, 95 Walker Road; Swanzey woodturned works by Kenny Greatbatch, Route 10, and watercolors by Jeanne Maguire Thieme, pastels by Gill Truslow and textiles by Victoria Reck Ames, 30 Hale Hill Road; and West Swanzey oil pieces by John C. Raynor, 24 Railroad St.

For a downloadable map, visit http://www.fallfoliageartstudiotour.com.

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Tour artists' studios, autumn landscape

The following information is provided by the Lower Makefield Township Police Department:

Thursday, Sept. 25

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF On the 1100 block of Oxford Valley Road at Roelofs Park, reported at 10:17 a.m. Complainant reports unknown person(s) broke all the mirrors with a shovel in the restrooms. Approximate value is $240.

FRAUD On the 1800 block of Yardley Road, reported at 8 p.m. Complainant reports unknown person(s) opened a PayPal account in their name and charged $549.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT On the unit block of Sutphin Pines Road, reported at 10:33 p.m. Police responded to the report of a suspicious vehicle. Further investigation led to the discovery of drug paraphernalia. The 20-year-old male driver from Yardley was cited for disorderly conduct.

Wednesday, Sept. 24

THEFT On the 300 block of Oxford Valley Road, reported at 1:30 p.m. Complainant reports that sometime between Sept. 18 and Sept. 24, unknown person(s) removed a landscaper trailer and two mowers from the location. Approximate value is $2,000.

THEFT On the 1500 block of Big Oak Road at Hair Cuttery, reported at 3:49 p.m. Complainant reports unknown person(s) removed a pair of Meko 5.5 professional shears. Approximate value is $150.

UNDERAGE DRINKING At River and Mt. Eyre roads, reported at 10:48 p.m. Police on patrol observed suspicious vehicles at the location. Further investigation led to the discovery of underage drinking. An 18-year-old male from Levittown and an 18-year-old male from Fairless Hills were cited for underage drinking.

Monday, Sept. 22 Continued...

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LOWER MAKEFIELD POLICE REPORT: Thieves make off with landscape trailer, two mowers, professional shears, scooter and a ...

Ryan Duffy, who served as the communications director for Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford the last two years, is joining the Tallahassee public relations firm Hill + Knowlton Strategies.

Known for his calm, self-effacing manner, Duffy, 30, will serve as vice president, the company announced Monday. Duffy has also served a press secretary for the Florida House Leadership Team under then-House Speaker Dean Cannon. He also served as spokesman for Bill McCollum's gubernatorial campaign in 2010. From 2007 to 2010 he served as speechwriter for U.S. Senators Mel Martinez and George LeMieux. He started his career as speechwriter to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

"Ryan has established himself as a battle-tested communicator who knows the ins and outs of the state capital and Florida's public affairs landscape," said Harry Costello, the firm's Florida general manager and executive vice president. "From his strong background in speechwriting for a former governor and two U.S. senators to his role as spokeswman for a house speaker, Ryan has found success in every endeavor. He will offer our clients invaluable insight and expertise."

In a statement, Duffy said he's "thrilled" with his new job.

"I'm looking forward to joining an already stellar team and helping clients to navigate public policy issues and communications challenges statewide," he said.

He holds a mster's degree in political management from George Washington University and a bachelor's in political science from Florida State University.

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Hill + Knowlton hires Weatherford spokesman Ryan Duffy