Week in review: Anna Maria Island beach parking + DeSoto Square mall's new owner + charges fly in Servia-Rahn race + lifeguard shortage + Manatee-Sarasota's dangerous streets

The former DeSoto Square mall has a new owner, the Misty Servia-Mike Rahn election battle is heating up, algae is mucking up parts of Tampa Bay and it’s been an interesting week at the Herald-Tribune.

But first this …

Like almost everyone else in town, I have my own ideas about how to make it easier for visitors to park at the beaches of Anna Maria Island — the county should build one or maybe two parking garages on the island, and guarantee that island cities get back a greater share of tourism taxes to pay for the infrastructure, police protection, etc. needed to handle all the visitors — but that doesn’t matter right now.

What matters is that after years of no substantial movement toward a permanent solution for the beach parking challenge, the mess has reached a boiling point, with Manatee County officials and their counterparts in Holmes Beach more interested in pointing fingers and making threats than in working together for the good of all Manatee County residents.