THE HAMMOCK
Observer
TEACHERS YEAR OF THE
PAGES 1B-6B
YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 1, NO. 26
FREE ON NEWSSTANDS | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2025
Will Fusion 386 be demolished for Modern Mexx? SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
The new owners of the former Fusion 386 restaurant in The Hammock are proposing to build a new structure on the lot to replace the building. The new Modern Mexx restaurant could take three years to come to fruition, according to a technical site plan from Flagler County. The restaurant was recently purchased by A1A 5949 LLC, owned by Palm Coast’s Michael Goodwin and Flagler Beach’s Bruce Garrison, according to Florida’s Division of Corporations. The construction company for the project is DBA Lds Coastal Construction LLC. On the application, the owners call the current building “dilapidated” and “a safety hazard to surrounding property owners.” The location’s split zoning also does not allow restaurant use “by right,” so the owners are needing a special exception to “continue use of the property as a restaurant with a new building located in the rear of the property.” According to the application, the owners are asking for one year to commence construction and two years to complete construction. The proposed changes include more parking spaces, all in the front lot of the property, where the existing building is located. A new 2,980-square-foot building would be located on the back half of the property. The restaurant, at 5949 N. Ocean Shore Blvd., has had a sign change announcing the replacement as the future “Modern Mexx “ for months.
INSIDE $2.5 MILLION
A condo in Hammock Dunes is Flagler County’s top sale. PAGE 7A
INDEX
Business......................PAGE 7B Calendar......................PAGE 5A Cops Corner................PAGE 2A Crossword.................. PAGE 4C Public Notices............ PAGE 5C Tributes ...................... PAGE 2C
The Lori Fund donated $15,000 to GratitudeAmerica at the Golf Lunch at Hammock Beach. From left to right: Micheal Anthony, Angela Atkins, Frank Petruno, Ashley Semerneko and Stephen Gallagher. Courtesy photo
GratitudeAmerica fundraising passes $50K GratitudeAmerica’s Gallagher credited the community: ‘We have a lot of people that really want to give back.’ SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
The sixth annual GratitudeAmerica Charity Golf Tournament at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa has raised $50,000 for veterans, and has received an additional $15,000 donation from The Hammock’s Lori Fund. The $50,000 raised at the Nov. 11 Veterans Day tournament is a 15% increase over the previous year’s raised funds, GratitudeAmerica Board Chairman Stephen Gallagher said, and stems solely from the 175 event donors. The money raised will fund two GratitudeAmerica MSR retreats for veterans. When he started with GratitudeAmerica, he said he’d never dreamed it would be so successful. “It’s mainly because of the very generous community that we have,” Gallagher said. “We have a lot of people that really want to give back.” GratitudeAmerica is a nonprofit organization that supports reintegration of veterans and first responders through three main programs: The Fallen, the MSR Retreats, and the Warrior PATHH. The Warrior PATHH — Progressive and Alternative Training for Helping Heroes — program, an intensive training program that enables “combat veterans to walk the road home from war and be as productive here as they were on the battlefield,” according to the web-
The opening ceremony for the charity golf tournament was on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Courtesy of GratitudeAmerica
site. The Fallen Program is a threenight program for those affected by military loss. The retreats are three-night, immersive recreation and interactive workshops for veterans. The retreats cover the meals, hotels, counselors and more for veterans and one significant other, which could be a spouse, sibling or other individual close to the veteran. The funds raised at the charity tournament this year will fund two full retreats, Gallagher said. He said he heard about GratitudeAmerica when he still owned the Hammock Wine & Cheese restaurant, when two volunteers with GratitudeAmerica walked in. After hearing about GratitudeAmerica’s vision, Gallagher had to get involved. He eventually created the tournament, hosted at the Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa. The majority of participants
are Hammock residents. The tournament originally raised under $20,000 in the first year and used just one of the resort’s golf courses. Now it is so popular they have had to spread across two of Hammock Beach Resort’s golf courses. This is also the third year in a row the Lori Fund has made a donation, Gallagher said.
For Gallagher, an army veteran who served in active duty from 1980-1984, it means a lot to receive such continuous support from the community. “It’s great that I can give back,” he said. “That’s my motivation is that I can give back and raise money, and know it’s going to a great cause.”
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