The reproducible error

Parse error</b>:  parse error, expecting `'}'' in <b>/home/virtual/celsoc/db/list.php3</b> on line <b>34</b><br>

occurs with the following code segment.  It seems to be a problem with variable variables and arrays.

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="PHP">
require("./inc/globalsettings.inc");

// HELP WANTED LISTING
if ($cmd == "wantedpost") {
        $msg = "Employment Openings";
        $dbTable = "HelpWanted";

        // FIRST TWO ITEM VALS PASSED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
        $item = array("Region","Type","FirmName","Location","ShortDescrip");
        $query = "SELECT _rowid,";

// HELP AVAILABLE LISTING
} elseif ($cmd = "availablepost") {
        $msg = "Personnel Available";
        $dbTable = "HelpAvailable";

        // FIRST TWO ITEM VALS PASSED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
        $item = array("Region","License","Name","Location","ShortDescrip");
        $query = "SELECT _rowid, ContactFirst || || ContactLast AS ";
}
$query .= "$item[0],$item[1],$item[2],$item[3],$item[4] ";
$query .= "FROM $dbTable ";

// MAX NUMBER OF ITEMS RETRIEVED AT ONCE
$startval = intval($next);
$maxquery = 15;

// BUILDING QUERY
for ($i=0, $qcount=0; $i<4; $i) {
        if (strlen(${$item[$i]}) > 0) {
                if ($qcount > 0) $query .= "AND ";
                else $query .= "WHERE ";
                if ($i == 3) $query .= "$item[3] LIKE '%${$item[3]}%' ";
                else $query .= "$item[$i]='${$item[$i]}' ";
        $qcount++;
        }
}
$query .= "ORDER BY $item[0] LIMIT $startval,$maxquery";

// CONNECT TO DB AND PERFORM QUERY
echo $query;
mysql_connect($dbHost,$dbUser,$dbPwd);
$result = mysql($dbName,$query);
$num = mysql_NumRows($result);
</SCRIPT>