By MADELINE REIDA

Staff writer

Two new businesses have opened in Hillsboro.

Andrea Sneed has joined the Chamber of Commerce as a consultant for Epicure, which supplies ingredients and recipes that can be put together in 30 minutes.

“I still love to support our local restaurants, but this is for those who can’t always afford to do something like that,” Sneed said. “And it’s great to get around the dinner table with your family and just enjoy a meal and not have to slave in the kitchen for too long.”

Sneed does demonstrations and classes as well as selling products.

“Since the pandemic started, I had to go completely virtual,” she said. “Before, it would be in-person; they would be part of the demonstration, too. They could come in and cook with me and get hands-on with preparing the food.”

She uses Epicure herself.

“I love getting my kids involved in cooking because I feel like that’s been lost between generations,” she said. “Kids aren’t learning to cook. I believe in the importance of cooking at home, but I still want it to be very easy. I couldn’t even consider myself a very skilled cook.”

Her family moved to Hillsboro from Ogallala, Nebraska, in May of 2020. Having worked with the Ogallala Chamber of Commerce, she was quick to join Hillsboro’s chamber.

“I love the work that a chamber does and supporting other businesses,” she said. “What I see myself doing is supporting other businesses, helping to get involved with any events that are going on as a sponsor, and connecting with my community because we are new here.”

Sergeant LaPerle’s Barber Shop, operated by Chris LaPerle, is the other new business in the chamber. LaPerle moved to Hillsboro from Wichita Oct. 5 to take Silver Shears’ old building and open his own shop.

“I started cutting hair back in high school but never really thought I’d make a career out of it until a few months ago,” LaPerle said. “My fiancé — now my wife — pointed me in the right direction when she saw me cutting my brother’s hair one day.”

His wife’s family works at Pueblo Viejo, giving him another reason to come to Hillsboro.

The shop is named after the title LaPerle earned in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“I have a lot of veterans who come around; I give free haircuts to veterans,” he said. “A lot of people are interested in the plaques I’ve got hanging on the wall.”

With his license finally processed, he is ready to get his name out in Hillsboro.

“I know the Chamber of Commerce helps people out, and it obviously helps being part of the community too,” he said. “I don’t want people thinking, “You’re the weird guy who moved out to our town.””