Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail a hand-painted wooden statue of literary character Rip Van Winkle has been stolen from Wayside Park in Haines Falls. The Van Winkle image was installed in the park about a month ago. The theft occurred sometime over the weekend. The seven- to eight-foot piece was reported missing Mon., Aug. 15, by DeDe Terns-Thorpe, the town of Hunter's historian. She said the statue was constructed by a local resident and it stood in the center of the park. “He sort of greeted people in town,” she said. “Just bring it back, no questions asked,” Terns-Thorpe said. Van Winkle, the character created by early 19th century writer, essayist and historian, Washington Irving, is an enduring symbol of the Catskill region. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.