TRACKSIDE STUDIO RIBBON CUTTING … A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Friday, January 16 with numerous Stryker community members and local government officials participating with the grand opening of the Trackside Studio located on 106 North Depot Street in Stryker. Taking part in the ribbon cutting are from left to right front row, Mayor Joe Beck, Derrick Beck, owner Bobbie Beck, Deiter Beck, Stanley Whitlock, council member, Steve Planson, Stryker Rotary Club, and Al Riegsecker, village administrator. Back row from left: Ashley Epling, Williams County Economic Development Director, Michael Wieland, Stryker Rotary Club, Sean Ingram, council member, Vicki Cameron, council member, Kathee Ingram, Integrity Bookeeping, Rebecca Miller, Nick Wlasiuk, council member.
FAIR AND WIDE GAMES AND HOBBIES RIBBON CUTTING … A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Friday, January 16, with the grand opening of Fair and Wide Gams and Hobbies store located on 104 South Defiance Street, Stryker. Taking part in the ribbon cutting are from left front row, Mayor Joe Beck, WEDCO Director Ashley Epling, Kathee Ingram, Integrity Bookeeping, Rebecca Miller, council member, Lauren Handy and Kolt Handy, owners, Steve Planson, Stryker Rotary Club and Al Riegsecker, Village Administrator. Back row from left: Sean Ingram, council member, Michael Wieland, Stryker Rotary Club, Vicki Cameron, council member, Stanley Whitlock, council member, and Nick Wlasiuk, council member.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
Downtown Stryker has expanded with the grand opening of two new local businesses, Trackside Studio and Far and Wide Games, as community officials gathered for ribbon cutting ceremonies on Friday, January 16
Trackside Studio located at 106 North Depot Street in Stryker is where it occupies half of the former Last Call Bar building.
According to Trackside Studio owner Bobbie Beck, the idea of getting her own business started from painting journals originally just kind of as a hobby and gifts.
Then it expanded into people requesting customized commissions, and it grew into sharing her love of wellness products.
“I started the journals a little under two years ago and I’ve been an artist my whole life, but it fell off when I had to do real life career work before I left my job to become a stay-at-home mother,” said Beck.
Being a stay-at-home mother also gave her more spare time to start painting again, and it became a lot more than just painting as a hobby.
The studio not only offers painting supplies for local artists to purchase, but Beck will also be offering group paint classes where she will be hosting up to eight people at a time.
In fact, the first group painting class in which she is teaching began last Friday and it was fully booked.
The class theme is a snowy landscape, featuring an evening snowy landscape with some pine and silhouette trees on it.
The goal is to not make it too difficult, where beginners can also participate, but it’s something they could be proud of.
“I’m really excited,” said Beck. “I’m also offering private group painting parties and birthday group painting parties. The host gets to pick what the painting is going to be.”
She also pointed out that each painting class is themed prior, so people know what they’re signing up for.
Besides the painting classes and materials for sale, Trackside Studio also has locally made items such as homemade cloths and honey products for purchase.
Trackside Studio will also be selling Rowe Casa Organics which is a wellness brand based in the United States.“They have over 300 different wellness-related products for sale and have quite the selection,” said Beck.
“They got everything from overall well-being, sickness along with skin care, house care, hair care and pet care. All of the wellness you can imagine substituting the everyday items that we use. It’s something that is now offered wholesale across the United States.”
Beck is really excited to be a part of new businesses popping up in Stryker. “There are several that have come up, and Stryker has my heart,” said Beck. “So, I’m really excited to be a part of the community to be involved in.”
Originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Trackside Studio owner had a completely different upbringing than small-town Ohio.
“This has become my livelihood,” she commented. “Cape Cod has a lot of artistic-related shops. I still go back there twice a year, and my sisters still live there. My mother encouraged my creativity growing up. A lot of it had to do with it where I was brought up. I would give Cape Cod some of that credit.”
Just around the block, Fair and Wide Games and Hobbies, located on 104 South Defiance Street, also had its grand opening despite the store having been in operation since last June.
The store, owned by Kolt Handy and Lauren Handy, offers various games and other related products including Pokemon.
Kolt Handy had purchased the store from Mel Lane who had previously operated Mel’s Sports Gifts and Collectibles shop in Napoleon.
“When he (Lane) was there I more less lived at the shop,” said Kolt Handy. “I got back into the hobby and stopped to see how he was doing, and he said that he looking to go on from it.”
Kolt Handy admits that he’s always been a big gamer and likes to help people kind of relax and find new hobbies and have a passion for it.
Previously, he had been selling primarily online for about three years before getting involved in his business.
“When we got into our place, we were still working through that,” said Kolt Handy. “Once we opened up the doors it was different.”
Business has been going very well for Handy over the past six months since his store opened in Stryker. “We have a lot of positive comments from the community, and everyone seems to be happy with it,” said Handy.
The store will be hosting several upcoming events including a resin event scheduled for next month.
“If you never tried to work with resin before, you could make your own set of dice or just want to set of dice for your games, we can walk you through exactly how to do that,” said Handy.