The soccer website Goal.com included Bainbridge Island’s Fair Trade Sports in its guide “How To Be An Ecofriendly Soccer Fan.”

Goal’s first step: “Use a friendlier ball.”

“Based in Bainbridge Island, Washington, Fair Trade Sports was the first company to start selling certified fair trade soccer balls in the United States.

…The balls come with the word RESPECT printed on them and are decent quality, too. They’re not hand-stitched leather Aztecas, circa 1986, but their synthetic leather exterior makes it good enough for banging around in the park on Sundays.”

The balls are also union-made, eco-certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and free of animal products.

I wrote a story about Fair Trade Sports back in the day. Read it (again) here.

The state Department of Ecology announced today that it will not issue fines or other penalties against Asiana Airlines, the company that jettisoned fuel over Bainbridge Island and Puget Sound before making an emergency landing on Apr. 29.

“Our top concern is ensuring human health and safety in Washington state,” DOE spills program manager Dale Jensen said in a statement. “The pilot on Flight 271 had to take quick action to protect the lives of 179 people on board. That included dumping fuel to lighten the plane for an emergency landing. We’re thankful the pilot could make a safe return to the ground.”

Several Winslow and south Bainbridge residents reported smelling the fuel shortly after the Korea-bound plane released the fuel. The fuel was jettisoned after the the pilot noticed engine trouble while leaving Sea-Tac airport.

Much of the fuel evaporated before reaching ground. Sheens found on Puget Sound were too thin for a cleanup, DOE staff said.

Here are a few more photos I took while covering the dedication of “Counselor’s Corner” at Ordway Elementary School on Tuesday.

The memorial is at the spot school counselor Jeffrey McKinstry stood every morning to greet students as they hopped off the bus. McKinstry was killed by his mentally ill son in 2007. For more about the dedication, click here.

As I reported here (in yesterday’s Sun), the Bainbridge Island School District may cut 18 certified positions – including 12 teachers – for the next school year.

“These kinds of cuts are devastating for a school district of our size,” school board President Mary Curtis said.

The proposed certified staff cuts is on top of possible reductions for classified staff (custodians, groundskeepers, etc.) I noted in a previous blog post.

The district will hold a public meeting on the cuts tomorrow (Thursday), 7 p.m., at Bainbridge High School.