The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 44

BIO New England i w. Brtxftfield 0 mass. ten3 THE BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE JANUARY 31, 1999 Bridgeport Dispute over who's in charge means a 11 for the Greater Bridgeport Transit District ByRichWeizel GLOBE CORRESPONDENT i Since it was created more than 25 years ago, the transit district has been besieged by problems ranging from political clashes to financial The questionable activity includes allegations that board members improperly used district funds for meals and travel. The most recent round of trouble began last summer when the board came under fire for awarding a nearly $50 million contract to build a proposed downtown inter-model transportation center that would link bus, rail, and ferry service to a firm that was not the lowest bidder -leading to allegations of favoritism and the city's decision to take over the project. But that pales compared to what occurred when the leaders of the four towns said they were forming a new district after an audit by accountants in the towns showed "disturbing fiscal irregularities." The audit found that board members spent nearly $50,000 for travel, including four airline tickets that were purchased but not used, and $9,000 for meals following meetings.

The audit report also showed more than $63,000 in expenses for travel and entertainment for employees, including $27,600 for the general manager. Half of the 10-member board of directors insisted they did nothing wrong, and then fired General Manager Ronald Dodsworth after the audit alleged that he had allegedly misused a district credit card, improperly paid a Washington lobbyist with federal funds, and received mileage reimbursement in addition to a gas allowance. In fact, in what local, state, and federal transit officials believe is a first of its kind lawsuit in the United States, BRIDGEPORT, next page u- BRIDGEPORT, Conn. Music teacher Ad-jie Dennis needs the bus. He is legally blind, and for years the 57-year-old lifelong resident of Connecticut's largest city has relied on public transportation to get to his job at the Beardsley Elementary School in downtown Bridgeport.

Now Dennis wonders if the bus stops are going to be moved, forcing him to find another way home. The answer to that and many other questions is part of a bizarre dispute that has two groups claiming to run the city's buses. Last month, the four towns that comprise the Greater Bridgeport Transit District voted to secede and create a new entity. The original board claims that the move amounts to a "hostile takeover," and has gone to court fight it. Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating allegations of financial irregularities.

And, despite the state's interim management, the public has been left wondering if anyone is in charge. The transit district has long been controversial. Since it was created more than 25 years ago to provide bus service to commuters in Bridgeport and three surrounding suburban towns, the transit district has been besieged by problems ranging from political clashes to allegations of mismanagement, favoritism, and financial improprieties. GLOBE STAFF PHOTO BILL GREENE Danielle Puduski, working with Shadow in West Brook-field, is a disciple of California dog psychologist C.W. Meisterfeld, aJt-a.

"The Dog Whisperer." Spreading the word about 'whispered' training technique By Mark Dagostino GLOBE CORRESPONDENT WEST BROOKFIELD Don't jerk that leash. Stop yelling at Rover. And never, ever roll Rover over. A new breed of peaceful dog-training techniques that began in the hills of northern California with a man some call "The Dog Whisperer" has made its way to Massachusetts. And though many pet owners and trainers have never even heard of the method, some dog owners say it works miracles.

Daniefle Puduski, working from her home-based business, Respectable Rover, is one of the lonely practitioners of a kinder, gentler style of dog training whose central premise IZ tfZ1' A 4 1 'About 95 percent of this stuff is the people, not the DANIELLE PUDUSKI is that it's not just the dog that's misbehaving, it's you. Based on the teachings of C.W. Meisterfeld, a California-based dog psychologist, she uses a series of patient, non-confrontational techniques, not unlike those employed on troubled horses by Robert Red-ford's character in the film, "The Horse Whisperer." Her aim is to help people put an end to their canine woes by teaching them to recast the relationship between human and dog. "About 95 percent of this stuff is the people, not the dogs," Puduski says. "People don't want to be told they're doing something wrong." But she tells them anyway.

How, she wonders, can people shake pets by the scruff of their neck, flip them over on their backs and pin them to the ground, hit them, yell at them, punish them with harsh collars for years and then wonder why the frustrated animals turn around and bite. GLOBE STAFF PHOTO JANET KNOTT Wilfred E. Murphy believes Bridgeport and transit authority officials want to "get all the blacks and Hispanics out of the downtown area." "Would you train your children like this? Puduski asks. TRAINING, next page 'There's a ton of talent in the musical world' DOVER, N.H. If it's a strange-looking instrument from a far-off corner of the world, chances are Randy Armstrong has played it.

A teacher, composer, and cofounder of the popular groups DOAH World Music Ensemble and Unu Mondo, Armstrong, 47, has been responsible for turning American listeners on to a host of new sounds. As an adjunct faculty member at Phillips Exeter Academy, he plays and teaches North Indian sitar and tabla, and West African drums. And in Unu Mondo along with bassist-keyboardist Volker Nahrmann, and German percussionist Bertram Leh-mann it is not unusual to see him switch from guitar to Native-American Lakota courting flute, to Japanese Koto, or Biwa in a single piece of music. He spoke recently with Globe correspondent Mark Dagostino from his home. ill v-y I believe that there's virtually no music, going into the other cultural musics within the context of pop and rock.

Of next millennium, that hasn't been influenced from one course the experiments with those influences have been go-; culture to another. In popular music, in new music com- ing on for many, many years with great musicians like Ba-position, in jazz the influences are strong. batunde Olatunji, beginning back in the '50s. And jazz, In the beginning, for me, I think it was primarily a spiri- which is literally two cultures coming together in music any-. tual and philosophical way of looking at the world: Why not way, has been exploring the use of world music for decades, truly embrace and look beyond oneself and one's own envi- If all the flowers in the garden were just one color, it ronment? It came from people like Martin Luther King would be pretty boring.

So I look at the musical palette t-, who was a tremendous influence on me as a the influence and textures that now take place young man, in my teens, because I played in in- faJlrfCt because' for examPle' 1 Mve to Boston and terracial groups as a high school student I just teke a lesson a master djembe a of became more and more exposed to other cultural nfNPW drum player from Guinea. influences, and so then I embraced that in my You go to Berklee College of Music now and early 20s. HiIlfflanQ J1 can study West African drumming, in more Back in the early 70s, there were certainly than one tradition. You can study Brazilian mu-7 people who were exploring world music. But now ARLr sic.

You can go over to New England Conserva- the exposure has been so great that kids are go- akmbikuinu toiy and gtudy world music or gitar tf you want ing off to college and becoming ethnomusicolo- to. That's just the way it is. Even on the high gists. There's just a ton of talent out there in the musical school level, students can do a lot more independent world. I see younger players getting better and better by jects.

I have a lot of young people coming to me the minute, because the exposure is so great. information for international studies, and influences on mu- In the mid-'80s, individuals like Peter Gabriel, with WO- sic, and things like that MAD, and Paul Simon, with West African and South Afri- To me, this kind of study and understanding is what's can musicians on "Graceland." gave worldwide exposure to going to help save the world. ADC aumr 1 daddidi unDCAki Randy Armstrong, with his various instruments, cofounded the groups DOH World Music Ensemble and Unu Mpndo..