Raging Grannies to sing protests of naval base on TV

PORT TOWNSEND — They are children of the ’60s who in many cases vigorously and vocally opposed the Vietnam War.

These days the members of the Port Townsend Raging Grannies still rage — but with smiles on their faces and parody protest songs in their hearts.

The group of eight grannies and two male guitar-players they call “grumps” will melodically rage before Jefferson County’s public access TV cameras at noon Tuesday.

Laureen Martin, a Port Townsend resident, pens most of the Grannies lyrics.

Depleted uranium munitions, which Navy officials admit are housed in bunkers across the bay from Port Townsend at Naval Magazine Indian Island, is one issue Martin tackles in “The Insane Crane.”

It’s set to the to the tune of “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There”:

“The Navy’s got a crane across the bay!

“We know what it’s doing there,

“Though they won’t say!

“And what it’s doing there

“Is what’s insane!

“That crane has got to go away.”

Other Martin lyrics set to musical standards:

* “Bye-bye, Our Town,” to the tune, “Bye-bye Blackbird.”

* “No One Mentions the Nuclear Submarines,” to the tune of “Yellow Submarine.”

* “Nuclear War Chit-Chat,” to the tune of “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along.”

The Raging Grannies’ 30-minute performance will be videotaped for later broadcast on Port Townsend’s PTTV Channel 48 at the Gael Stuart Building at Port Townsend High School.

Like most of PTTV’s shows, it will aired on subsequent dates on the public-access channel.

The channel is available only in Jefferson County.

More in News

Port Townsend Main Street Program volunteers, from left, Amy Jordan, Gillian Amas and Sue Authur, and Main Street employees, Sasha Landes, on the ladder, and marketing director Eryn Smith, spend a rainy morning decorating the community Christmas tree at the Haller Fountain on Wednesday. The tree will be lit at 4 p.m. Saturday following Santa’s arrival by the Kiwanis choo choo train. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Decoration preparation

Port Townsend Main Street Program volunteers, from left, Amy Jordan, Gillian Amas… Continue reading

Port Angeles approves balanced $200M budget

City investing in savings for capital projects

Olympic Medical Center Board President Ann Henninger, left, recognizes commissioner Jean Hordyk on Wednesday as she steps down after 30 years on the board. Hordyk, who was first elected in 1995, was honored during the meeting. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
OMC Commissioners to start recording meetings

Video, audio to be available online

Jefferson PUD plans to keep Sims Way project overhead

Cost significantly reduced in joint effort with port, city

Committee members sought for ‘For’ and ‘Against’ statements

The Clallam County commissioners are seeking county residents to… Continue reading

Christopher Thomsen, portraying Santa Claus, holds a corgi mix named Lizzie on Saturday at the Airport Garden Center in Port Angeles. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Peninsula Friends of Animals. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Santa Paws

Christopher Thomsen, portraying Santa Claus, holds a corgi mix named Lizzie on… Continue reading

Peninsula lawmakers await budget

Gov. Ferguson to release supplemental plan this month

Clallam County looks to pass deficit budget

Agency sees about 7 percent rise over 2025 in expenditures

Officer testifies bullet lodged in car’s pillar

Witness says she heard gunfire at Port Angeles park

A copper rockfish caught as part of a state Department of Fish and Wildlife study in 2017. The distended eyes resulted from a pressure change as the fish was pulled up from a depth of 250 feet. (David B. Williams)
Author to highlight history of Puget Sound

Talk at PT Library to cover naming, battles, tribes

Vern Frykholm, who has made more than 500 appearances as George Washington since 2012, visits with Dave Spencer. Frykholm and 10 members of the New Dungeness Chapter, NSDAR, visited with about 30 veterans on Nov. 8, just ahead of Veterans Day. (New Dungeness Chapter DAR)
New Dungeness DAR visits veterans at senior facilities

Members of the New Dungeness Chapter, National Society Daughters of… Continue reading

Festival of Trees contest.
Contest: Vote for your favorite tree online

Olympic Medical Center Foundation’s Festival of Trees event goes through Dec. 25