Bok Takes Gown to Town As Mayor Vellucci Hosts Dinner

President Bok and Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci joined by some of their top sides talked turkey about town and gown relations last night over ziti with red sauce and tenderloin at a dinner held a Cambridge Hospital.

Both Bok and Vellucci said last night that the meeting was a way to strengthen communication between the city and the University. However, Vellucci--who served as host--seemed to have more of an agenda to present to Bok than vice versa.

Vellucci said in an interview outside the hospital dining room that the principal purpose of the dinner was to check on items discussed at a similar gathering held in June and hosted by Bok. He also hoped to discuss adding to the list of projects Harvard and the city could collabrate on.

At the June meeting, officials agreed to establish a joint committee to determine specific programs in which Harvard could aid the city. In addition, University and Cambridge administrators planned to increase Harvard's consulting in urban planning.

Vellucci said that in addition to checking on the June proposals he wanted to discuss budget problems at University-affiliated Cambridge Hospital, ways in which Harvard's facilities could be more accessible to Cambridge residents, and the continuing problems at the Craigie Arms Apartments.

The financially strapped hospital has been hit by "Reaganomics, state cuts, and Proposition 2 1/2," Vellucci said. He added that "it seems Cambridge has taken the burden" of the cuts.

"I don't think the big brass at Harvard have ever been in this hospital before and they're affiliated with it," said Vellucci.

Bok said before he entered the dinner that years--said the dinners are the best way to grievances to air with Vellucci, but would instead listen to what the city officials had to say.

"The principle of the dinner is to provide an opportunity for full and open communication so we can get an idea of the problems and needs as the city sees them," he commented, adding that the dinner allows "some warning of the problems that we didn't know about and the reverse."

Bok had his staff prepare an analysis of the University's response to the agenda raised at the June dinner, which he had with him last night.

"Every item on the agenda has been answered, so at least the ball is in their court," he said, adding. "I don't think things are being help up at out end."

Vellucci--who reconvened the town-gown dinners after they had been abandoned for 13 years--said that dinners are the best way to bring both sides together, adding. "When they have an Italian mayor, there shall be dinner meetings. When they don't have an Italian mayor they can do anything they want."