TOE THE LINE: CANDIDATE REPRESENTATIVES VIE FOR BALLOT SPOTS

BENTON -- Southeast Missouri State University student Shaina Schiwitz is sitting down on the job.

Since Jan. 2, the 20-year-old sophomore has been spending her weekdays camped out in a reclining chair outside the Scott County clerk's office in the courthouse at Benton from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since then, she has been joined by two other women, all of them standing in for candidates for county office.

The filing period for county offices begins Tuesday at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. March 31.

By having representatives standing in line, candidates are assured of the top spot on the election ballot for their particular offices, said County Clerk Bob Kielhofner.

Schiwitz, a Benton resident, has been standing in for Sheriff Bill Ferrell, who is running for re-election.

Behind her in line Wednesday, seated on a padded courthouse bench, were Stephanie Scott, 20, of Sikeston, representing Lonnie Ponder of Sikeston, who is running for coroner; and Martha Dempster of Benton, representing longtime Assessor Gerald Inman.

Ferrell said he provided Schiwitz with his own personal recliner so that she would have "a little more comfortable place to sit."

"The first morning she was there, she was sitting on that bench and there was no way to get comfortable on that," explained Ferrell.

Both Schiwitz and Scott are getting paid to sit in line. "This is a job. We are working," said Schiwitz.

Dempster, on the other hand, who is retired, volunteered her time to stand in for Inman.

She said her daughter once worked for Inman, and her sister is employed in the assessor's office.

"I just felt like this was a way to repay him," she said.

Inman joined the line Tuesday. Dempster took over for him when the line formed again Wednesday morning.

Schiwitz said she stood in for Ferrell on Thursday and Friday last week. The courthouse was closed over the weekend. Another person stood in line for Ferrell on Monday, but Schiwitz resumed her place at the head of the line Tuesday.

Schiwitz said she spends her days reading books, cross-stitching, sleeping and listening to a Walkman.

Scott, a sophomore at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield who is studying to be a certified public accountant, has passed the time reading magazines and books, sewing and stretching out on the bench.

"You just watch people go in and out," said Scott, who has been in line since last Friday. "We listen to music."

She added that they also pass the time talking to each other.

"You just sit," said Dempster, whose brother is Scott County Second District Commissioner Joe Spalding. "It gets a little bit old."

The candidates' representatives are each allowed two 15-minute breaks during the day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They also are allowed a one-hour lunch break between noon and 1 p.m.

The representatives leave at the end of each business day, and resume their place in line the following morning. There is no line on the weekends as the courthouse is closed.

But the order of candidates is maintained on a list and followed when the line resumes on the next business day, Kielhofner explained.

Candidates and/or their representatives have traditionally stood in line for filing for office in Scott County, although generally such lines have formed only a day or two before the start of the filing period, the county clerk said.

But, he said, this is the first year that a written policy has been followed. "We are operating our line just like the secretary of state does."

The new policy eliminates the need for candidates or their representatives to camp out at the courthouse 24 hours a day, he said.

Ferrell, Inman and Ponder said they believe that being first on the ballot translates into votes.

"I've always been first on the ballot; always the first one in line; the first to file," Ferrell said Wednesday.

Ferrell recalled spending a day and night in the courthouse in 1980 in order to be first on the ballot, and again in 1984 and 1988.

"I try not to take anybody or anyone for granted, so I wanted to be first," said Ferrell, who has served as sheriff for the past 16 years.

Inman, who has served as assessor since 1976, prides himself on being first in line for his office. He recalled getting in line at 4 a.m. on the filing date in 1988.

Ponder, who owns Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston, is making his first foray into politics.

Ponder, 34, believes that lining up for office says something about the candidate. "When you take the time and trouble to get a girl up there in line, it shows the voters that you are serious about the job."

In addition to Ferrell and Inman, other county officials whose terms expire this year are First District Commissioner Lynn Ingram, Second District Commissioner Joe Spalding, Coroner Scott Amick, Public Administrator Sonny Alcorn, and Surveyor C.R. Waters.

All are expected to file for re-election.

There will also be an election for the position of Division IV associate circuit judge, where Fielding Potashnick of Sikeston is currently filling the unexpired term of Lewis Blanton. Blanton left the post to take the job of federal magistrate in Cape Girardeau.