My name is Bob "Gazzoo" Gassel and I attended Camp Timberlane from 1971 thru '79, and continued to help out into the mid 1980's. During my tenure, I accumulated piles of pictures, papers, and other crap which gathered dust for decades...until the internet provided an outlet with which to share these artifacts and memories. This site will always be a work in progress, and any input you can provide will be welcome. Finally, a special "Bravo"...this would not have gotten off the ground without the loving support of my wife Heidi, who has so generously given of her time to input most of the lists, newsletters, etc. which appear here. This site, and me, are dedicated to her...

Happy New Year! I've updated a lot of email addresses and other info on TimberBase.

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted here. Raising two toddlers takes up most of our time...

My attempt to keep TimberBase up-to-date is meeting with mixed results; while many of you have responded, quite a few have not. Many emails are being returned as "undeliverable". I urge you again to check your listing to make sure it is correct, and peruse the list for other alumni whose information you can help update.

While going thru my old email, I came across this nugget from from Josh "Sol" Solomon...

My buddy Matt (who didn't go to Timberlane) sent me this URL, which I think is hilarious: http://www.thesportsrag.com/008_Bill_Walton.html . I forwarded it to a bunch of my deadhead friends, including Greg Schatten, but I didn't have his new email address and it bounced. So I Googled him and, lo and behold, there he is onTushball.com. Nice site, Gazzoo. And hello to all you others.

Carl: thanks again for the 31 Dec 84 ticket, but what happened to you on 31 Dec 86?

JP: The Rads played your wedding! How cool is that?

MP: Angela (now my wife) quotes your girlfriend (circa Dec 1990) virtually every time I make her listen to free jazz. "I like it, but I don't understand when they are all playing different songs." PS: For some reason it is OK for *her* to repeat a 13-year-old joke ad nauseum, but when I do it, she gives me nasty looks.

Gazzoo: feel free to add my name to TimberBase. I was at camp 78-79. My current home is London (but, as you may remember, I grew up in Glencoe). My occupation is Scientist. Actually, you might enjoy this mini-bio from The Deadheads' Taping Compendium Vol. 2:

"Joshua A. Solomon. First brush with Dead: hearing my counselor play Friend of the Devil on his guitar, Camp Timberlane, 1978. First brush with Live Dead: Alpine 1981. That same year I first picked up the guitar and began amassing tapes. 1985: Met my future wife. Subject of our first conversation: The Dead (and why they suck). 1986: First setlist pool. (10 songs, $1. Tiebreaker: # of songs.) 1993: Helped form the Bay Area Tapers' Group. 1994: hid Dead song acronyms on the cover of Nature."

Said counselor was Tom Callahan. And, of course, David (Boo) Berlin was doing the setlist pool long before I was. I'll ask my mom to dig out my Timberlane albums. She is coming for a visit in April. I'll send scans of whatever she can find to Gazzoo. Hopefully the photos we passed around at the Horizon in '88 are back in there. An official camp portrait will certainly be there, but, for the time being, you might as well hotlink that grundy photo of me to TimberBase. It's just about my only natural smile captured on film.

HH has graced us with an update, please check it out here

Double-fatherhood has prevented me from updating the site as much as I would like...but now that summer's over, I'll try and catch up on posting the many great photos that have been sent over the past few months. I'll start with the Post-Timberlane page which now has recent photos of Jeff Leiken's Californai wedding and the Danny & Sabrina Plattner family on vacation in Mexico...

Billy Greenberg has been added to TimberBase. He writes...

The Timberlane site is fascinating. Thank you so much for maintaining this. My name is Bill (maybe it was still Billy then) Greenberg. I attended Timberlane from either 76-79 or 77-80, I dont remember. I now live in New York City. I work as a fixed income portfolio manager.

By the way, I found a picture of myself on the site, in the 1977 cabin of Seminole. I'm right next to Billy Straus and Steve Rice is next to me. I think that's Marc Plattner in the lower right; and bottom row second from left might be Ed Stein.

The last of them David boys, Jon (1975-83), has been added to TimberBase. He writes...

Married 11 years, four kids, still trying to convince my wife to let me send our eight year-old son to Timberlane next year. Here is a picture of Doug and me...

June 28, 2004

I've added a shot of HH and Billy Fried taken during Agawak's pre-camp to the Post-Timberlane page.

Steve Friedman (1966-75) has been added to TimberBase.

Al Posner (1962-63) has been added to TimberBase. No, he's not related to Wally.

Clive Bonnick (1987, 92-94) has been added to TimberBase. He writes...

Although my years at Camp were 1987 and then 1992-94, I was there in the Harold to Mike change years and know quite a few of the staff from that period. Therefore would you please consider adding me to the list. Harold would remember me as the British guy that came in and changed the Horseback Riding program. I also frequented Agawak as often as I could (and who wouldn't with all the lovely female counselors - sorry Billy).

Fred Markoff has been added to TimberBase. He writes...

I have been living in Chicago, but am relocating next week to Hawaii for new employment. I will be working for Norwegian Cruise Lines onboard the Pride of Aloha as Provision Master. (Purchasing Manager for all food for the liner) The ship is scheduled to be cruising only 7-day cruises through the Hawaiian Islands.

I will not have a permanent address. However I will be setting up a PO Box once I get to Hawaii. I will be paying to keep my current email address after I shut down my highspeed connection.

I have passed through my second divorce last November, and my son Adam 19 (who was a camper for 2 years at Timberlane) will be going to University of Wisconsin next fall.

I have been told that one of the employee benefits is that I will be able to get discounts for family and friends. What that is, I do not know at this time.

Was sad to see that Mike Kritsig had passed away. What were the details? We were in the same cabin my first summer at camp. I do not remember the skinny dip incident. However he did have a fixation of Jackie Huber.

David Branovan writes...

How are you folks doing? Marie and I bought the Roadhouse Bar and Grill in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. It is a sports bar and restaurant, serving up great camp food. The place has a huge hall with a 25 by 20 screen for movies, ice cold soda, peanuts and popcorn.  It is movie time.

Lets have a Timberlane reunion. We would like to host it whenever you think would be best. There is a hotel 3 miles from the RoadHouse, Cedarburg is 20 minutes north of downtown Milwaukee. What do you think?

The website is being developed now: 5cornersroadhouse.com

Martin Lynch has provided us with three new photos for the Cabin Photo Archive. You'll see a "NEW" next to their listing.

Rick Mandel has been added to TimberBase. He writes...

John Tarney told me about Tushball.com. Now, try to explain to your 9 and 12 year old girls what Tushball is (why would you want to hit a ball on the roof...roll down...and hit again...hmmm), and why is it called "Tushball" (must be this Jewish thing)?

I have 3 girls: 18, 12, 9...and a male dog, thank goodness. We live north of Milwaukee in Mequon. I run our 112 year old family graphics business. To try to capture this empty feeling of life after camp, we bought a home on a small lake. I drift down to the pier at night, look in the sky for those wonderful stars (never like up north), I drift into solitude...then suddenly I see Bobbo Heilbronner run past me buck naked into the water to skinny dip...I wake up in a cold sweat...go back into my house to put the kids to bed. Ah, the memories!!!!

The stories are great. I am glad people like you keep things like Camp Timberlane alive. These were the best times in my lives!

Several times over the past few months I have heard concerns from alumni about The Central Area message board. Apparently co-workers have been Google-searching camp names and seeing things in our posts not intended for the general public. Therefore we're forced to introduce password access for The Central Area.

The Central Area Archives are a different story. Until I can figure out a way to restrict access to them, I'm going to have to take them offline. Thanks for your patience...

Todd Chapman (1965-76) has been added to TimberBase! He writes...

I regularly talk to Ed Fried and each summer I go up to Minocqua to see one of my daughters (from the first wife) at Agawak. I can't believe how much I miss the Northwoods in the Summers. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made was letting Timberlane get away from me...I should have bought it.

Anyway, I have gone to the website several times, I even downloaded the picture from the reunion, I'm still kicking myself in the "ASS" for missing it. Bad timing with work at that juncture. I run into several of the "old timers" now and then. I saw Ken Lorch at Katten Muchin Zavis law firm. I see Larry Grossman at a friend of mine's house, they are related, I see and talk to Ed and Billy. Ed and I were talking to Mike Blechman in Florida for awhile, but he went thru a divorce and sort of disappeared. There is many more, I'll save them for another time.

I had sent you an e-mail a long time ago and I am not sure whether or not it was ever received. I expressed my sincere thanks and gratitude to you, for taking the time and putting forth such a monstrous effort in getting this web site up and running. I enjoy going through things and reminiscing back on my days at Camp, which were many. Some of my best memories in life revolve around my summers at Camp. I will never, never forget them.

This summer while visiting my 13 year old daughter Ariele at Camp Agawak, I went over to the Hiken's and spent several hours with H and Sharon. I just happened to be there when Jimmy and his family were visiting too, along with Susan and her family, minus Richard. It felt like old home week. I was happy and saddened when I pulled out of HH's driveway, I realized how much I miss it in the Northwood's and truly, how tranquil it is there. 

My life in Chicago has not afforded me enough opportunities to visit Camp and enjoy the Northwoods more. I have two families. Two girls from my first marriage, Maurissa 16 and Ariele 14 (this Saturday), they live in Northbrook, Ariele has gone to Agawak for the past couple of years. I am remarried, live in Buffalo Grove, and I have two girls with my wife Wendi, Jordyn 6 and Jenna 3. Neither one of my younger ones are girly girls. Jordyn wants to play football and hockey with the boys. My girl after my own heart. I hope that they will attend Agawak when they are older, so far it is a hard sell to my wife, who was raised in Northbrook and took hard sided luggage and a hair dryer with, the first time I took her to see Camp. I almost did not go thru with the wedding because she did not like Camp and the Northwood's enough. Anyway, I could go on and on.  I really wanted you to know that your efforts are very greatly appreciated.

This mystery Central Area poster, Adam Zimmerman (1978-85) has been added to TimberBase.

Happy New Year...our short flirtation with Hotmail has ended. Effective immediately, the email address for correspondence regarding this site is tushball@comcast.net. Meanwhile, my personal address has changed to dirwuf@comcast.net

Harold has updated his greeting, and gives us some rather big personal news...check it out here

Brian Seideman has been added to TimberBase. He writes...

Out of the blue today I get a call from Scott Robinowitz, my best friend from camp for 6 years. It has been 20 years since I have spoken to him, but we were able to pick right back up where we left off. Where does the time go...and as I looked at all of your current pictures, I said to myself where did their hair go?

I just learned of Tushball.com and as I look at the pictures and read your comments it feels like I have come home again. That was a special place and time, some of the best days of my life...especially when I was hanging on the Grundy Nail.

Concisely, I am married with no children (because we already have Pud), I got my Masters, I was working for Genuity, which Level 3 purchased, we were all laid off, and now I help Scooter manage his law firm (seidlaw.com) in Dallas. Don't worry Pud, the Boss already installed a nail in my office for when I screw up.

Your friend through time,

"Seid o bunns" "Seid o beef" "Seidy"

The 1986 Staff picture has been added. Thanks to Matt Hillier.

Matt Hillier (1986) has been added to TimberBase.

Will Padway has been added to TimberBase.

I'm finally rid of AOL! To contact me regarding the website, please write to: tushball@hotmail.com, while my personal address has changed to: dirwuf@hotmail.com

Howard Riezman writes:

I have moved from Basel to Geneva. Same job, still a biochemistry professor, but I am now in the French speaking part of Switzerland.

...and a touching note from Hank Schwartz's son, Perry:

To Harold and all who contributed to the memory of my dad. I just happened upon this terrific tribute to my dad and can't tell you how broad it makes my brother and I. Thank you all for your kind words.

The search engine has been tweaked so you should no longer get results from outside Tushball.com.

Jon Turell (1973-77) has been added to TimberBase.

Harold has updated his greetings letter, which can be found here.

Mike "Meadow" Jacobs writes:

I have moved to Shanghai China, so who ever makes the trip to the new frontier look me up.

Eric Bauer (1966) has been added to TimberBase (here's a vintage picture of Eric). He writes:

Hi...Barry Heller forwarded me your information, as well as the website. Please pass my best regards on to HH. I have so many fond memories of my summer there in 1966 and grew up in Indianapolis, not only with Barry, but with Dennis Silverstein (who sadly passed away a few years ago), Kenny Lorch, and others who went to Timberlane. Barry and I each have sons who are 12 years old and are thinking about sending them...one from California...one from Florida. I look forward to being listed on the site, never know who you might hear from. And nice job on the site, my partner & I build a lot o web sites and I'm impressed. Thanks for making my day!

Barry Heller ('66-'67) has been added to TimberBase. He writes:

Wonderful memories visiting the terrific website! My name is Barry Heller and I was a camper in 1966 and 1967. At the time I lived in Indianapolis, IN, now I live in Los Angeles, CA and I am an Emergency Physician. I'm going to talk to my 12 year old son tonight..he needs a good dose of the midwest summers and people. Thank you Harold for all the wonderful things you taught and gave us over the years.

Courtesy of Jeff Mossler, a few more pics have been added to JP & Billie's Wedding Page.

Just a reminder that pictures from Joey Pierce's wedding festivities can be found here.