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Iwould like to point out that the drinking water in Waterloo is not full of toxins as stated in the editoriâ€" al cartoon (in last week‘s Chronicle). We already have a problem with people drinking too much bottled water in Waterloo and this does not help. People can find out about the 120 water quality tests the Region of Waterloo conducts to make sure our water is pure by going to www.region.waterloo.on.ca/water. The results of these tests are list ed quarterly. Ihave been hoping for a while, that the elegant and clearly "retro" Waterloo city sign currently lanâ€" guishing behind utility poles on King Street, just south of Union Street, might be preserved and Retro sign should live on in the uptown Waterloo‘s water is not full of toxins This is a very big year. There are two milestones for me in the next few months. In mid February, 1 will mark 25 years on the air in Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo. This is, to be less than humble, a fairly remarkable thing in an industry like broadâ€" casting, which has a tendency to devour people. Twentyâ€"five years in the same city. On the same station, and always on mornings, which is the toughest shift in radio. Truthfully, I thought it was over about 14 years ago. At that time we were still playing, as I liked to call it, the "music of your dead grandmother‘s life." A lot of instrumentals, middleâ€"ofâ€"theâ€"road soft hits. Enough to put you to sleep, which it did to me and whatever creative juices I had left. I was, at that point, in the game still for the money, which was reasonably good at the time. I could wander around town, and no one had any idea what I did for a living. But I wasn‘t having any fun. And I had I t reached the point, as we were going through a couple of station sales, where it was time to move on to something else. It was a common occurrence for me to sleep in a couple of mornings a week. That‘s only happened twice in the last five years. y" I‘m glad I didn‘t walk away. Our program director at the time, (now our general manager), talked me out of resigning, at one point saying "Good things are on the way, be patient." â€" It‘s going to be a memorable year (Believe me, when you get into this business, there is always a part of you that wants to be recognized â€" even if we complain about it). The last 10 years have been a tremendous ride meet lots of nice people and get to do all kids of interesting things. â€" Having spent a significant amount of time in that building over the past year or so, there‘s a great deal of satisfaction in knowing something you have been part of has had a beneficial impact on your commuâ€" nity. Best of all, 1 get to give something back through the Poster Boy campaign. Through that campaign, people have donated some $2 million to the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre. Regional Coun. Jane Mitchell Waterloo showcased somewhere within the new plans for uptown Waterfoo. Water fluoridation forces a popâ€" ulation to ingest a harmful chemical called hydrofluorosilicic acid. The sign could be considered a work of found art and might be an installation for a park or for the new public space in the uptown. Teeth are the window to the bones ... It is not found in nature. It is a manâ€"made byproduct of the phosâ€" phate fertilizer industry. _ If there is even a small chance this could be harmful to our health why on earth would anyone agree to drink this toxin. With all the recent studies about the dangers of fluoridated water, you can expect to see classâ€"action lawsuits because of all the medical conditions this poison causes. Teeth are the windows to the bones. If you have dental fluorosis BOURKE COMMENT And the community has had a beneficial impact on us. Two of our girls were born here. All three of them received the benefit of a good education and a myriad of opportunities, from dance to softball to volleyball, in their school years, to securing good jobs, working for decent people since their graduaâ€" tions. tnitotinrentummeae) I‘ve tried to be really low key about my 50th birthday in August of 2008. But somehow it has slipped out that I will be a half century old in August. I‘m really not hung up on age too much. People ask me what it feels like to be 50. I don‘t know. Don‘t feel a whole lot different than I did 10 years ago. I have the occasional ache and pain, but nothing too serious. __ Anyhow, since it has leaked out about me turnâ€" ing 50 in August, I have given my daughters permisâ€" sion to organize a big surprise birthday party. Mostâ€" ly it‘s a surprise to them. Besides, 50 is the new 40, right? Whatever that garbage means. _ _ _ _ _ _ â€" My wife has grown into a satisfying career, and now that we have spent half our lives here, Kâ€"W really is home. But really, don‘t make a big deal over it. Brian Bourke, a member of the 105.3 KOOL FM morning crew, can be reached by email at B. Larke Waterloo Of course, the only thing that would make it complete would be that statue the mayor keeps talking about erecting in my honour. I want no such thing, but it really is difficult to stop some people once they get an idea in their head. Oh sure, we all complain about things, but the area has been an absolute bonus for us. Maybe a small park, or part of the expressway, but a statue seems so, I don‘t know, over the top. Speaking of not being able to stop things, I am told plans are also afoot to mark another moment. That will be my 50th birthday in August. bbourke@koolfm.com. of the teeth, can you imagine what your bones look like? Nobody, not your neighbour by way of referendum, not you doctor or dentist and definitely not your government has a right to force you to ingest a drug against your will. CHRON Sherry Simonsen Thunder Bay The film, inspired by a 2003 New Yorker article by Tad Friend entitled Jumpers, was shot with multiple cameras pointed at a single spot on the bridge for the entirety of 2004. The filmmaker amassed almost 10,000 hours of daylight footage, captured 19 successful suicides, and several attempts. ile it was one of the most visually stunning and powâ€" Wzrful films I‘ve ever seen, it was also one of the most disturbing â€" and I‘m grateful I didn‘t watch it alone. This past weekend my wife and I rented the 2006 film The Bridge, a documentary by Eric Steel about suicide and San Francisco‘s Golden Gate Bridge. It was recommended by a friend at Jumbo Video in Waterloo, and I was warned it contains actual footage of people climbing over the railing of the world‘s most famous bridge to commit suicide. * On Orato.com, a news site, Steel wrote, "Suicide is not an easy subject matter. My brother died of cancer as a young man, and I was with him when he died. My sister was killed by a drunk driver, and I wasn‘t there when she died. In many ways, it was easier to deal with the death that 1 saw than the one that I didn‘t. \Apcmmeinmnmemnmnrmmmam mm "By looking at one of society‘s gravest taboos, I hoped to change the way society talks about suicide and shine light on the darkest possible moments in a person‘s life." Shedding some light on the lives of six of the people who jumped, family members and friends were interâ€" viewed, revealing pain and confusion as they searched for answers. One of the true heartâ€"wrenching stories was that of Kevin Hines, a surâ€" vivor who jumped in 2000. Hines, a young bipolar adult, recounts how he realized at the moment of jumping that he didn‘t want to die. Also interâ€" viewed was his father who felt helpless in aiding his mentally ill son. Intertwined with interview footage are breathtaking images of the bridge, sometimes shrouded in mystery by wispy fog. Scenes of kiteâ€"boarders riding the ocean waves and countless tourists admiring the bridge are juxtaposed with dramatic _ â€" footage of lost souls plunging to their death. In the article Steel wrote for Orato.com, he spoke of shooting such grim imagery: s e o "In 2001, I was sitting at my desk in my office here, and I saw the World Trade Centers hit and collapse. I was very aware of the people who made the choice to jump out of the building rather than perish in the flames. "So, in a way, since I had already seen people leap to their death, I was sort of prepared to film The Bridge. On the other hand, one can‘t emotionally prepare to see the end of a human life." For me, the saddest story was that of 34â€"yearâ€"old Eugene Sprague, with his black leather jacket and long, dark hair blowâ€" ing in the wind as he walks back and forth on the bridge for what seems like an eternity. Throughout the film, friends related how he spoke about killing himself for years, and how it became so commonplace, they began to just ignore and blowâ€"off his comments. One female friend shared tearâ€"filled comments about the guilt and sadness she felt after losing her friend Gene. In the final moments of the film, Eugene is sitting nonchaâ€" lantly on the railing, then suddenly stands, and throws himself backwards off the bridge in a spectacular fall. It‘s a chilling and melancholic image I won‘t soon forget. Reflecting on the documentary, I see it not only as a film striving to pose questions â€" such as why the Golden Gate Bridge is the top sticide destination in the world â€" but a nonâ€" judgmental and realistic look into human desperation and lives unfulfilled. More importantly, I see it as a powerful work ofâ€" advocacy for mental health awareness, an effort to help others recognize those who may need intervention. It‘s not an easy film to watch, but it‘s an important one. And one I recommend not watching alone. Marshall Ward is a visual artist and independent filmmaker, curâ€" rently teaching life drawing at the Waterloo Community Arts Centre. Email is welcome at marshall_ward@hotmail.com. Hard to watch, but important to see WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, January 16, 2008 * 7