brought JFK airport to a standstill.

The American Airlines flight due in Bermuda at 7.30 p.m. yesterday was cancelled.

And a spokesman for Bermuda International Airport said that meant that this morning's 7.10 a.m. flight to New York -- which would have used the same plane -- was also axed. More than 190 people were booked on the flight.

A spokeswoman for American Airlines last night said that as many travellers as possible had been contacted by phone and advised of today's cancellation.

She added some AA passengers had been placed on BA and USAir flights over the next few days.

But she said even if the weather lifts, all AA flights up to Christmas Eve were fully-booked.

The travel chaos came in the wake of snow storms which swept the east coast of America.

Up to 18 inches of snow may have fallen in the New York area by today. New Jersey and Boston have also been badly affected.

NO CASSAVA, SAYS US GOVERNMENT IMM No cassava, says US Government Travellers may no longer bring cassava pies containing meat into the United States, the US Government has announced.

Dr. Jeffrey Jones, the senior plant protection officer at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, said the pies were likely to be confiscated at the Airport due to concerns about transmission of animal diseases.

His department was prohibiting the entry to the US of cooked or uncooked meats that were not shelf-stable. "Cassava pies fall into this category and will not be allowed into the States.'' Dr. Jones said he regretted any inconvenience.

Further information was available from Mr. Alex Agostini, the USDA representative in Bermuda, at 293-2752.

CRUISE TENDER SERVICE IN DOUBT SHI Cruise tender service in doubt Tender service to the Meridian remains in doubt for next season, an official said yesterday.

Mr. Henry Hayward, president of Meyer Agencies Ltd., said Horizon owners Celebrity Cruises has said it will not provide the tenders between Dockyard and Hamilton in 1996.

"The cruise ship has been burdened with this extra expense, over and above any other cruise ship, just to keep the passengers happy,'' Mr. Hayward told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"There are very few spots in the world where a cruise liner goes into a port and is expected to provide tender service.'' When weekly cruise ship visits to Dockyard began five or six years ago the annual bill for tender service exceeded $800,000, Mr. Hayward said. The service has been cut back as Dockyard developed, with only four tenders a day provided last year.

Mr. Hayward said he planned to discuss the issue with Celebrity in January.

But as the agent, Meyer had no position on what should happen, he said.

A compromise under which Government and Celebrity would share the cost was "a possibility,'' he said.

THIEF MAKES OFF WITH WHISKEY CRM Thief makes off with whiskey The Police reported that the Heron Bay Market Place in Southampton was robbed by a male in his 20s on Monday afternoon who left without paying for a bottle of scotch whiskey. The man was stopped by the store's manager but escaped on his motorcycle after a struggle.

The Phoenix Store on Reid Street in Hamilton was also robbed on Monday afternoon but this time the thief was nabbed. The staff at the store saw a 21-year-old Smith's Parish woman leave without paying for a number of items including magazines, puzzles and stickers.

She was stopped outside the store and handed over to the Police when they arrived. The Police said she would appear in court in due course.

In other Police news, a 23-year-old St. George's woman broke her ankle yesterday afternoon when the motorcycle she was riding collided with a taxi which was pulling out of a bus lay-by on Barrack Street in St. George's.