A pair of retired school teachers will be the newest additions to the El Cerrito Wall of Fame.

The accomplishments of Jane Bartke and Amy Shinsako extend far beyond the classroom in earning them a place with the group of celebrated El Cerritans on permanent display in the vestibule at City Hall.

Bartke, who will join her husband Rich in enshrinement on the wall, is best known to the community for her time on the City Council, including turns as mayor in 1993 and 1997.

But her involvement extends to roles in numerous community organizations and initiatives.

For the past 12 years she has taken the lead in continuing the Sundar Shadi holiday display on the city's hillside, including preservation and maintenance of the folk art pieces he created.

Bartke has also had leadership roles with the YWCA of West County, the now dormant El Cerrito Women's Club, Soroptimist of El Cerrito, the Rosie the Riveter Trust, the El Cerrito Community Foundation and the West Contra Costa Retired Educators, to name a few groups.

"The list just goes on and on and on," as Councilwoman Janet Abelson said at Monday's City Council meeting.

Shinsako, who was a longtime teacher at Harding Elementary School in El Cerrito, was nominated to the Wall of Fame for her work for more than 30 years with the Sakura Kai Senior Center and her time as a classroom volunteer.

Sakura Kai (cherry blossom) is housed at the Open House Senior Center in El

Shinsako, whose father was a founding board member of the program started by West Contra Costa Adult Education in 1973, has volunteered and taught at Sakura Kai and serves on its food committee.

"Our purpose is to share some aspects of Japanese-American culture with the community, along with helping to preserve our culture for the younger generation of Japanese-Americans," she said in 2009.

Shinsako retired after 20 years of teaching first grade at Harding, but remains an important presence there, volunteering as a reading tutor for the past seven years.

She has also served on the board of J-Sei, a Berkeley-based organization providing services and cultural connections to Japanese-Americans in the area, and with Daruma No Gakko, a summer Japanese cultural program for grade school students.

Both honorees will be formally inducted to the Wall of Fame during a ceremony at the Aug. 21 City Council meeting.

Learn more about the Wall of Fame, including a list of previous inductees, at http://www.el-cerrito.org/index.aspx?NID=123.

RECYCLING CENTER TOUR: "Where Recycling is a Pleasure" is a free tour, open house and talk that will be presented by the El Cerrito Historical Society and the city at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Meet at the Recycling Center, 7501 Schmidt Lane, to see behind the scenes at the new facility that opened earlier this year, and to learn about the original center started by volunteers in 1972.

The evening will include a panel with early volunteers and people who ran the center and the screening of a new documentary about the facility.

For more details contact Dave Weinstein at 510-524-1737 or davidsweinstein@yahoo.com.

REACHING EAGLE RANK: A Court of Honor on May 19 officially conferred the rank of Eagle Scout on Vincent Cooper Janke of Pinole.

The ceremony at Pinole United Methodist Church was the culmination of a Boy Scout career that started when Janke was a Tiger Cub at age 6. He went on to earn 22 merit badges and take leadership roles in Troop 86 in Pinole.

For his Eagle project, Janke designed and led the installation of landscaping and a seating area at the Pinole Swim Center.

Janke is also a four-star recipient in Scouting's God and Country program, a rare accomplishment.

Vincent Janke, the son of Sherry and retired Pinole Deputy Police Chief Pete Janke, graduated from El Sobrante Christian High School and now is taking general education courses at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, before pursuing a degree in business management.

WEST COUNTY NOTES: The free summer series of family movies presented by the Richmond Recreation Department starts off with the touching 2011 drama "Soul Surfer" from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza.

Popcorn and water will be available for $1 each while the film plays on the big screen.