News digest

School district issues caution about possible mail fraud Warwick - The Warwick Valley School District issued a warning this week to residents about what school officials described as fraudulent invoices from a vendor calling itself Sports Media which began showing up in area mailboxes in March. According to a press release from the district, the vendor has been billing local merchants $199 for Warwick Valley High School Spring Sports Poster ads. Neither the Warwick Valley School District nor the High School Athletics Department has any affiliation or contract with any such vendor. According to the scenario described by the school district, it appears that after cold-calling local businesses early this year and asking them to renew their participation with the high school, multiple invoices requesting credit card information or payment by check were initially sent from an address in Milford, Conn. Invoices also were sent from an address in Santa Fe, NM. Invoices listed an out-of-service phone number of 866-816-4970 as the contact information for the vendor and requested that ad copy be sent to sportsmediaad@earthlink.net. Final notices threatening to turn the bill over to a collection agency included a Sports Media representative’s name of Ashley Armstrong. If you have received or paid one of these invoices or have any information that might aid authorities in their investigation, contact the Warwick Police Department at 986-3423. PI onion-eating contest returns Pine Island - The Pine Island Chamber of Commerce will hold its fifth annual onion-eating contest on Friday, Aug. 19, at the Polish Legion of American Veterans Pavilion. The contest will take place at 8:30 p.m., immediately following the Summerfest Citizen of the Year Award presentation. The winner will receive a check for $100 from the Orange County Vegetable Growers Association and a plaque. Registration is limited to 12 contestants. Contestants can register by calling Russell Kowal at 258-4792 or any chamber officer. The contest is in celebration of Pine Island’s 3000 acres of hearty onions that are famous throughout America. Can you help? Warwick - Due to the closing of Hilltop Children’s Center in Middletown, Warwick Day Care Center Inc., a not-for-profit agency, has been fortunate enough to receive many donations from the center, including a new climber for its front playground. However, the center is in urgent need of volunteers with a truck and trailer to help bring the climber from Middletown to Warwick. If you are interested in helping, or know of someone that could help with the move, contact Warwick Day Care Center at 845-986-4706 or e-mail at warwickdaycare@yahoo.com or wdc@warwick.net.