The docket for Judge Margaret Mahoney’s court is quite full for next Tuesday morning. She’ll hear bankruptcy cases from all over the southern district of Alabama.

The docket for the afternoon is a bit easier to understand.

Selma’s American Candy Co. has one last chance to make its plea before the bankruptcy court. According to a spokesman for Mahoney’s office, this is the last hearing scheduled for American Candy.

Last week, Gaylon Warrington &045;&045; American Candy’s CEO &045;&045; said his Selma plant would open again on June 3. That never happened.

“No, we never did get called back to work,” said Daisy Todd, union representative for the American Candy employees. “We’re still holding out hope, though. We’re still praying and waiting.”

Last week, Todd said she went to Selma Mayor James Perkins and economic developer Wayne Vardaman to make a last-minute plea with representatives from the city.

“I went and talked to them to see what they could do to help,” Todd said.

According to the bankruptcy court’s docket, the only help American Candy can get now is cash. Listed on the items for American Candy’s hearing are a motion that would extend American Candy’s financing through Bank of America.

John Wechsler, majority owner of American Candy, is listed on the docket to reinstate an injunction and “substitute collateral.”

Warrington did not return phone calls to The Times-Journal on Thursday. However, Todd said many employees at American Candy are having a hard time making it on small unemployment wages.

“There are a lot of people who are starting to look for jobs. There just aren’t a lot of jobs in Selma,” she said. “I get calls every day from them. Sometimes, five or six or seven of them call. They’re all worried.”

Perkins said he was approached by Todd about helping American Candy.

“I have tried to rally support from the Governor and from [the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs],” Perkins said. “We were able to get letters executed from the Governor and ADECA pledging support and expressing concern about American Candy.”

Letters, though, can do little at a time like this.

“Beyond being responsive to their concerns and needs, there’s nothing we as a city can do financially,” Perkins said. “Legally, we cannot do anything.”

Selma City Council President George Evans reiterated that statement.

“A city cannot get involved with a private company,” he said. “There’s not much we can do except try to support them.”