As surprising as it may seem, chewing gum or chicle is a worldwide popular product that resulted from the friendship of former Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and the American scientist and inventor, Thomas Adams.
Santa Anna was a Mexican political leader, general and was President on eleven non-consecutive occasions, who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government. He lived in exile in the USA and other countries.
It was during the time he lived in the USA that he met Thomas Adams, who later became his assistant. …

The West Virginia District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration has singled out a Charleston salsa maker for honors.
Maria Magdalena “Maggie” De La Cruz Cook-Garcia has been named the West Virginia Small Business Administration’s “2009 Young Entrepreneur of the Year.”
Cook-Garcia is the owner and operator of Maggie’s Salsa, a salsa that is unusual because it is never cooked. Cook-Garcia learned how to make the salsa when she was growing up in Mexico, helping prepare meals for her 68 siblings, most of whom were adopted by her parents, who run …