Alfred E. Vellucci, the former Cambridge mayorwho was instrumental in establishing the picnic asa Harvard Yard tradition, said the event wasimportant in maintaining good relations with theUniversity.

"If you really want to have a town-gownpicnic," he said "all you have to do is have apicnic and serve the food and you will havefriendship forever.

Reeves hailed the afternoon as a chance for"all of our seniors [to] get to have a wonderfultrip and share food, friendship and fun."

Also attending were more than a dozen othercandidates for this November's city council andschool committee elections. Among them wereincumbent city councillors Kathleen L. Born,Reeves. Sheila T. Russell, Sullivan and Timothy J.Toomey.

Cambridge and Harvard split the cost of theannual event. This year, Harvard's share was morethan $15,000, but officials said the price tag wasworth it.

"The program is designed to foster good will,"said Associate Director of Community RelationsMaryann Jarvis, who organized the event. "It's anopportunity for these people to see their croniesonce a year. It's really kind of infectious."

Rudenstine's Summer

In a brief interview at the picnic yesterday,Rudenstine discussed his month overseas.

In Italy, the president attended the annualmeeting of the Tanner trust, which sponsors theTanner Lectures at Harvard and several otheruniversities.

After that, Rudenstine and his wife, angelicaZ. Rudenstine, took a holiday in England. There,they visited family and friends. the presidentsaid.

Rudenstine returned to office about a week ago.He said yesterday that he will spend the remainderof the summer "getting back into" his lobbyingactivities in Washington, resuming theinterfaculty academic planning process andsearching for a new dean of the Business School.

The president promised a more extensiveinterview later in the summer