Trumbull County now has the largest drumsticks in the world.
Why not the largest director's chair?
Why not the biggest news studio?
How about the fattest guitar strings? Or some other ways to create a buzz, maybe tourism and maybe public appearances revolving around the most influential local natives, past and present.
What Warren has done for Dave Grohl is impressive. Grohl, born in Warren in 1969, is the front man for the rock group Foo Fighters, which won five Grammys this year. Previously, as the drummer for the band Nirvana, Grohl himself is a Grammy-winning drummer, guitar player and singer.
Two years ago, a group of Warren residents organized to create Dave Grohl Alley downtown. Grohl performed at the dedication. The same group commissioned the design and production of the world's largest drumsticks, 23 feet long and 900 pounds each, which will anchor the alley. Grohl didn't appear when the drumsticks were revealed recently at the Warren Community Amphitheatre, but he posed wearing a T-shirt that said ''made in Warren.''
That could be the start of a major marketing campaign.
NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield: Made in Warren. 2012 Super Bowl star Mario Manningham: Made in Warren. Former National League baseball president Bill White: Made in Warren. Fox News President Roger Ailes: Made in Warren. Virtual Computing Environment Company CEO Michael Capellas: Made in Warren. We could go on.
The marketing could grow beyond Warren and beyond people. Hollywood Director Christopher Columbus: Made in Trumbull County. The baseball scorecard: Made in Trumbull County. President William McKinley: Made in Trumbull County. The drinking fountain: Made in Trumbull County. Famous defense attorney Clarence Darrow: Made in Trumbull County. Hot dog creator Harry Stevens: Made in Trumbull County.
This could expand beyond Trumbull County. The Warner Brothers: Made in the Mahoning Valley. Actor Ed O'Neill: Made in the Mahoning Valley. The football penalty flag: Made in the Mahoning Valley. Film, Broadway and recording artist Maureen McGovern: Made in the Mahoning Valley. NCAA coaches Bob Stoops and Bo Pellini: Made in the Mahoning Valley.
Attractions like the world's largest drumsticks and an artistically decorated alley coupled with a made-here publicity strategy helps make the region an attraction. It also helps people here, especially young ones, proud of their hometowns and optimistic that they, too, can achieve great things.
The organizers of Saturday's Reach Back Warren Community Day could be a good match for spearheading such a campaign. A group of Harding High School alumni is hoping to encourage Warren natives to give back to the city regardless of their present locations.
The civic group Avenue and Main in Niles is similarly tapping into the city's historic significance by planning a Harry Stevens day in honor of the man credited with creating the modern-day baseball scorecard, drinking straw and hot dog.
These grassroots efforts deserve a boost from others who can turn their visions into something all-encompassing and grand for the entire county, even the entire Valley.