An orange-and-yellow clad superhero has been roaming the streets and seasides of Ballard lately, protecting residents from terrorizing crustaceans, hipsters, condos and anyone who doesn't like lutefisk.

His name is, simply, The Anchor. You may have seen him at Syttende Mai with his mermaid friend. Spoken of before only in hushed whispers, The Anchor has finally come into public view, just in time for SeafoodFest. Which he loves to talk about. (It's Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14, on Ballard Ave and Market St, if you haven't received the memo.)

On Tuesday, The Ballard News-Tribune received a tip that a devious crab was roaming Golden Gardens, snapping its claws at tourists. Before we got there though, The Anchor was already on the scene.

What ensued was a battle of epic proportions. The two went mono-a-mono, blow-for-blow, fist vs. pincer. It wasn't until The Anchor used his, well, anchor -- which has mysterious powers and which no sea creature can defend against -- that the fight was resolved.

If you see The Anchor around town, make sure to say thank you for saving your life. To learn more about SeafoodFest, visit http://seafoodfest.org/.

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