Tonight is a power night for parties and politics.  Not only is it the one year anniversary and birthday of GreenDrinks Savannah, a local installment of an international institution dedicated to green social networking, but today marks three weeks out until Election Day, making this evening’s County Commission Candidate Forum all the more important to attend.

Yes, it’s a two-fer, a tag team, double trouble.

It begins at 5:30 pm at Moon River Brewing Company on Bay Street (map) when GreenDrinks will celebrate its birthday and one year anniversary Oktoberfest-style.  Festivities include drink specials, a cocktail buffet and a special rendition of “Happy Birthday” sung by Savannah’s own Roger Moss.  Special anniversary GreenDrinks koozies will be on sale for $1, as will be raffle tickets to win a host of items, most enticing of them being two tickets to the 2008 Innovation Awards (a $150 value).

GreenDrinks certainly has much to celebrate. In the year since there well-publicized, well-attended launch, their email list has grown from 800 to nearly 1300, encouraging a groundswell of social networking around green issues. GDS has averaged more than 150 attendees at each event, which on average is more actual attendees than the cities of Washington DC, Chicago, Long Beach and Atlanta, and more attendees per capita than cities the size of London, Seattle and New York.  Many green businesses, politicians, gov’t, media outlets and individuals attend GreenDrinks to get involved.  They’re a top stop for local green petitions, movements and initiatives.A networking website emerge from the GreenDrinks vision.  And three GreenDrinks nearby (Brunswick, Beaufort and now Statesboro) have formed, inspired by their great success.

Congrats to GreenDrinks.  And Happy Birthday!

After the party, folks are encouraged to attend the County Commission Candidate Forum, where candidates running for the Chatham County Commission will have the opportunity to answer questions about their positions on a variety of issues related to land use, land conservation, transportation and growth in Chatham County.  Sponsored by the Georgia Conservancy and Savannah Bicycle Campaign, the forum will take place at the Coastal Georgia Center on Fahm Street (map) beginning at 7:30 pm.

The program will be moderated by a panel including Dionne Hoskins, associate graduate professor at Savannah State University, Orlando Montoya, news producer with Georgia Public Broadcasting in Savannah, and Jim Morekis, editor-in-chief of Connect Savannah. Candidates will answer formal questions delivered by the moderators during the program before taking questions from the audience and from the media.

Districts 1, 4, 6 and Commission Chair face contested races (district maps). All opposing candidates will participate in the forum, as well as unopposed Commissioners from Districts 3 and 7.  This event is free and open to the public.  For more information, call the Georgia Conservancy’s coastal office at (912) 447-5910.

The Georgia Conservancy is a statewide, non-profit organization that develops solutions to protect Georgia’s environment through collaboration, education and advocacy. Since establishing a coastal office in Savannah in 1972, the Georgia Conservancy has been engaged in water, land and growth management issues locally and throughout the coastal region.

The Savannah Bicycle Campaign aims to promote bicycling in the community and to create, strengthen and unite local bicycle groups, riders, and enthusiasts to improve conditions for cyclists in Savannah.

Popularity: 18% [?]