Senator James Gaughran (right) presents Northport High School social studies teacher and veteran Darryl St. George with his Veteran’s Hall of Fame plaque. Photo from Northport-East Northport UFSD
Northport High School social studies teacher and veteran Darryl St. George was selected by Senator James Gaughran for the 2021 New York State Veterans’ Hall of Fame. Due to the pandemic, St. George was not able to receive the traditional celebratory ceremony at the time of his induction. On November 10, 2022, Senator Gaughran visited Northport High School to present Mr. St. George with his award during a surprise ceremony.
With many of St. George’s students and colleagues filling the high school commons, Superintendent of Schools Robert Banzer and Chairperson for Social Studies Sean Hurley welcomed Senator Gaughran in advance of Veteran’s Day, thanking him for his continued support of our schools. Senator Gaughran then spoke about the hard work of our veterans.
“We are very blessed in our country and in our community that we have people who step forward. They step forward to protect us, step forward to protect our democracy,” Senator Gaughran said. “In our community, we have a lot of great people who have done this and who have worked very hard to protect us and then go on when they come back to work in our community and to help not only fellow veterans, but to help educate and help move our society forward.”
While St. George was aware he had received this award in 2021, the ceremony came as a surprise as he was called to the podium as the NYS Veteran of the Year in Senate District 5. During his time in the navy and stationed in Afghanistan, St. George obtained the rank of 3rd Class Petty Officer, Fleet Marine Force (F.M.F. Corpsman) and earned many awards for his service.
When addressing his colleagues and students, St. George was emotional as he spoke about his hope for the future and how his students continuously inspire him. “Every day when I work with you students, that’s where I get my inspiration from,” he said.
According to the NYS Senate website, the Veterans’ Hall of Fame “was created to honor and recognize outstanding veterans from the Empire State who have distinguished themselves both in military and civilian life.”
Darryl St. George at a RAP Week press conference earlier this month. File photo by Victoria Espinoza
Huntington Democrats are looking to heal a party rift by working together to push towards securing the town supervisor seat up for grabs this November.
Centerport resident Darryl St. George has put out a call for his followers to support Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) in her campaign for Huntington Town Supervisor. Edwards beat St. George in the Sept. 12 primary, 3,482 votes to 1,664 votes, to win the Democrat line in the general election.
The political hopeful said he was initially disappointed by his loss but with time to reflect has put it in perspective.
“It was the first primary for a Democratic town supervisor and 1,600 people came out to vote for us,” St. George said. “It was still a loss, but it was a win in that sense. We got that many people to come out and be involved in the process.”
Huntington Town Councilwoman Tracey Edwards. File photo by Rohma Abbas
St. George said he has sat down with Edwards to talk over the key issues that came up in the primaries and their campaign platforms. They were able to find some common ground, according to the challenger, who said they were in agreement on the need for term limits for elected officials, campaign finance reform, a comprehensive review of the town’s master plan with environmental considerations, and aggressively attacking the problem of heroin/opiate addiction.
“I am able to go back to my supporters and say, ‘This is the candidate we need to get behind,’” St. George said. “In my view, I will do everything I can to help her win as I believe she is the best person for the job in this race right now.”
Edwards will face competition from the Republican candidate, current State Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci, Nov. 7.
Both Democrats agreed that the voter turnout for the Sept. 12 primary was disappointing. There were only 5,000 registered Democrats who cast their ballot for town supervisor candidate out of the more than 50,000 party members registered to vote in the Town of Huntington.
“A long-term project for me as a veteran and a history teacher is to do everything I can to get more people involved in the political process,” St. George said. “We can’t continue to accept low voter turnout as a reality.”
“In my view, I will do everything I can to help [Tracey Edwards] win as I believe she is the best person for the job in this race right now.”
— Darryl St. George
The Northport High School teacher said he hopes to hold a meeting with young leaders sometime in October to discuss what role they play in the politics, how they can get more involved and have a voice in local issues.
His strong belief that active participation is key to the democratic process is part of what inspired St. George to get involved in politics. He first contemplated running for a seat on Huntington town board in 2015, before declaring in February 2017 he would be launching a campaign for town supervisor — months before Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) announced he would not be seeking re-election.
St. George’s decision spurred what will be remembered, at least by many voters, as the first Democratic primary for Huntington Town Supervisor.
“I have a profound sense of gratitude for all the people that came out and participated in this historic event in the town, which includes Tracey’s supporters,” the political hopeful said. “But a special thank you to my supporters, I’ve come to see them as an extended family.”
While St. George said he did not have any specific plans for the future, residents may still see and hear his name.
“I’m not going anywhere. I will continue to stay involved and do what I can to fight for what I believe in,” he said.
Former Huntington Councilwoman Tracey Edwards won the Democratic town supervisor primary. File photo by Kevin Redding
The risky decision by Huntington Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) to run for town supervisor rather than seek re-election to the town board has paid off so far following her primary night victory Sept. 12.
Edwards beat challenger and Centerport resident Darryl St. George (D), 3,482 votes to 1,664 votes, in the primary to become the Huntington Democratic Party candidate for town supervisor, based on the unofficial election results posted Sept. 13 by the Suffolk County Board of Elections.
Darryl St. George
Winning more than 60 percent of the overall vote, Edwards is already looking forward to the general election.
“I am ecstatic,” Edwards said. “You are always a little nervous, of course. But I was ecstatic to receive the confidence of the Democratic voters.”
The councilwoman said she had already reached out to St. George Wednesday morning to speak to him about working together in the runup to the November general election.
“I would like to call on Darryl and his supporters to join forces,” Edwards said. “We must work together to advance our Democratic and Progressive goals. Division will not lead us to victory.”
St. George could not be reached for comment.
Edwards was elected to the town board in 2014, after serving 10 years on the board of education in the Elwood school district. She previously served on the board of directors of the Long Island Association and worked for 37 years at Verizon, starting as an operator and climbing the ladder to regional president of network operations.
“My priority No. 1 is the safety and protection of families,” Edwards said. “What we want to put together and what we want to share is our bold platform which focuses on safety by tackling the gang problem and eliminating the opioid and heroin epidemic in our town.”
Tracey Edwards
Over the last three years, Edwards spearheaded the creation of Huntington Opportunity Resource Center, a program that offers assistance with job hunting and career training for unemployed and underemployed residents. She has also been an advocate for Huntington Station revitalization, a plan which includes construction of veterans housing, art space, stores, sidewalks and a parking garage, while also working to stamp out crime.
Edwards has more than $150,000 available in her war chest to spend in the lead up to the Nov. 7 election, according to the 11-day pre-primary financial disclosure report filed with New York State Board of Elections.
The Town of Huntington supervisor race is wide open as incumbent Supervisor Frank Petrone (D), 72, announced in April he would not be seeking re-election. He has served for nearly a quarter of a century, as he was first elected to the position in 1993.
Edwards is running on the Democratic, Independent, Working Families and Women’s Equality lines. She will face-off against Republican candidate, state Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci (R) and a Green Party candidate, pending the outcome of the Sept. 12 primary.
Town of Huntington will host a Organ Donor Enrollment Day Oct. 10. File photo by Rohma Abbas
Two hopefuls will face off in the Sept. 15 primary to win the Democratic party line in the wide-open race for the Huntington Town supervisor seat. For many, it is the first Democratic primary for town supervisor they can vote in.
Incumbent Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone (D), 72, announced in April he would not be seeking re-election.. He has served for nearly a quarter of a century, as he was first elected to the position in 1993.
Town Councilwoman Tracey Edwards (D) will compete for votes against community leader Darryl St. George (D), of Centerport, to determine who will attempt to fill Petrone’s shoes.
Tracey Edwards
Edwards has made the decision to step forward and run for supervisor, rather than seek re-election to a second term as a town council member. If she does not win the Democratic primary, she may no longer serve Huntington as an elected official.
“I chose to run for town supervisor versus running for re-election,” Edwards said. “This is not about me. This is about what I believe is best for Huntington.”
Tracey Edward
Edwards was elected to the town board in 2014, after serving 10 years on the board of education in the Elwood school district. She previously served on the board of directors of the Long Island Association and worked for 37 years at Verizon, starting as an operator and climbing the ladder to regional president of network operations.
Over the last three years, Edwards spearheaded the creation of Huntington Opportunity Resource Center, a program that offers assistance with job hunting and career training for unemployed and underemployed residents. She has also been an advocate for Huntington Station revitalization, a plan which includes construction of veteran’s housing, art space, stores, sidewalks, and a parking garage while also working to stamp out crime.
“The biggest issue is public safety and safe neighborhoods,” Edwards said. “That is always No. 1.”
If elected supervisor, Edwards said her primary goal is to improve public safety, making more affordable housing for millenials and seniors, working with families to address ever growing opioid and heroin dependency, and expanding the town’s environmental initiatives.
“I think what [voters] have to do is really decide who has the business experience, the civic experience and governmental experience to make the changes necessary to take the town forward,” Edwards said. “We have work to do.”
Edwards will be attending Huntington Awareness Day, Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stimson Middle School, located at 401 Oakwood Road in Huntington Station
DarrylSt. George
St. George was one of the first to announce he would seek election as town supervisor in February, prior to Petrone’s announcement he would not seek re-election. He said he previously contemplated running for town board in 2015.
“The political landscape from February till now has shifted dramatically, what has not shifted is my resolve,” St. George said.
St. George works as a Northport High School teacher, where he is the co-advisor of Northport High School branch of Students Against Destructive Decisions and the advisor of Project Vets, a club that works to improve the lives of veterans once they return home. He previously taught at St. Anthony’s High School in Huntington.
Darryl St. George
St. George is a U.S. Navy veteran who served a nine-month tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2011. Upon returning home, he served as the president of Greenlawn Civic Association for three years. In that role, St. George said he addressed public safety issues and opioid and heroin addiction.
“I was proud to be in that position,” St. George said. “I felt we were able to grow the civic association and get a lot of young people involved.”
If elected supervisor, St. George said he would focus on improving public safety by addressing in addition to opioid addiction, gang issues, protection of the environment and democratic reform to make town government more accessible for people to become involved.
“The real difference between the supervisor and the town board is a supervisor must be a leader,” he said. “A leader should have a vision and be able to communicate that vision clearly, build consensus on the town board and in the community so the vision can be translated into action. I have a track record of doing that as a teacher, as a veteran who served in the U.S. Navy,as a civic leader and as an activist.”
St. George will be holding a fundraising event Sept. 9 at 6:45 p.m. at the Conklin Brush Barn, located at 2 High Street in Huntington.
Polls will be open for primaries Sept. 12 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Huntington Town residents are eligible to vote in the supervisor race if you are a registered Democrat,at least 18 years old, have lived at your current address at least 30 days before the election, and have not been in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.
To double check if you are registered to vote, visit the state’s website at voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx.
Darryl St. George at a RAP Week press conference earlier this month. File photo by Victoria Espinoza
Since returning home from serving overseas, a homegrown Northport High School teacher has devoted his free time to inspiring students, zeroing in on two specific issues.
Darryl St. George, a Centerport resident and United States Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, is the co-advisor of the Northport High School branch of Students Against Destructive Decisions and the advisor of Project Vets, a club that works to improve the lives of veterans once they return home.
“I love working with young people,” St. George said. “I find what I do in these clubs an extension of what I do in the classroom.”
St. George graduated from Northport High School in 2000 and earned his teaching degree from Marymount Manhattan College. He was in Manhattan when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 occurred, and said the day instilled a passion in him to help his country.
“I had this sense that I really wanted to serve,” St. George said. Personal reasons held him back until 2009, when he enlisted in the United States Navy.
His first deployment to Afghanistan was in 2011. When he came home nine months later, he said he discovered that one of his former students from Northport High School had died of a heroin overdose, and his own brother Corey had started abusing opioid drugs.
A few months later, he lost his brother to an overdose from prescription medication, which “changed everything.”
St. George was honorably discharged from the navy after three years and returned to his job at Northport High School, where he became a co-advisor of SADD with Tammy Walsh, another Northport High School teacher.
“One of my colleagues asked me to run the club with her, and together, the club really expanded from three kids at a meeting to more than 50.”
St. George said he was able to get the club to take a more active role in Recovery, Awareness and Prevention Week.
“We felt that the drug epidemic was such a crisis that this club would be the perfect vehicle to help combat the issue,” St. George said. “Tammy and I are open and candid with the kids about our own history with this problem, and I think the kids are receptive to that kind of honesty.”
St. George said he finds working with SADD very fulfilling, and sees it as necessary. “Ultimately, my drive for getting involved is to do everything I can so that no family has to go through what my family did,” St. George said.
St. George and Walsh have been working on a SADD Summit, which they hope will help bring RAP Week-like programs to other schools on Long Island. He wants to change the culture in every school.
Aside from working with SADD, St. George is involved in another club in Northport High School called Project Vets.
He said this club has a two-pronged mission statement — to work with veterans and help them with the transition period once they come home.
“I am a vet, and I personally know many of my friends that have had difficulty transitioning back home,” St. George said. “But they are not looking for any handouts. This club explores how we can improve their transition period.”
Project Vets is only in its second year, and St. George said at the first meeting there was more than 60 students wanting to join.
