Staff photo / Chris McBride

Ronald Urchek displays what he says is potentially a centuries-old wooden carving of Thomas Jefferson he has kept at his Mecca residence and has sent him on a search to figure out its origins. MECCA — Township resident Ronald Urchek has spent years crisscrossing Northeast Ohio in the pursuit of an answer to who created a wooden carving of Thomas Jefferson.

The 87-year-old discovered the object by chance on a roadside stop. He believes the carving could date back a century or more. For Urchek, the statue isn’t just wood, but a time capsule and a testament to forgotten artisans. Propped up now on a felt pad he added for stability, Urchek explained the base was uneven, likely from being set on a pedestal during carving. It stands as a reminder of his relentless c

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