Top 10 Reader stories of 2014

1) SeaWorld announces shift from orcas to sharks

— Shark Week, every week

Polling conducted via YouTube showed that 90% of people would rather watch a shark jump out of the water to eat a live seal than see an orca do the same jump for a couple of fish.

• By Walter Mencken

2. Carlsbad mall security banishes steampunk group

Manners beyond the pale — carousel ride and shopping plans foregone.

Steampunks were greeted by the Oceanside Police Department for breaking the mall's "code of conduct."

• By Mercy Baron

3 ) Why more people leave than enter San Diego

— Chargers blackouts and the opera’s demise

San Diegans pay a big cost to live in perpetual sunshine. Income is moderately above the nation's, the cost of living is far above.

• By Don Bauder

4 ) Big plans for Chula Vista’s Vogue Theater

But we're not being fancy

Opened in 1945, and dormant since 2006, new theater's aim is to "showcase movies that are educational, multicultural, independent, and even mainstream commercial in nature."

• By Vincent Farnsworth

5 ) La Jolla Cove is becoming a sea lion cesspool

...and there’s not much to be done about it

The jewel of San Diego is flawed. In fact, it stinks!

"It's dirty, it stinks, and it's like swimming in a toilet that hasn't been flushed."

• By Caitlin Rother

6 ) Cardiff’s Beach House Restaurant closed

Off the schedule

Employees had no clue…neither did valet service or linens provider

• By Ken Harrison

7) Letter sent by San Diego Opera board members today

I have removed the names of the signers.

Eleven irate members of the San Diego Opera board held a private meeting on March 26, and sent out a letter to the other 47 board members on March 28.

• By Don Bauder

8) Castle Park Middle School principal punches back!!

“Who is this Susan Luzzaro bitch?!”

A series of emails acquired by the Reader through a public-record request, demonstrated how far Castle Park principal Robert Bleisch was willing go in order to keep himself aligned with Sweetwater superintendent Ed Brand’s agenda.

• By Susan Luzzaro

9) Airport cabbies Uber angry

Mustachioed ride-sharing puts pinch on traditional cabbies.

"If San Diego were a human body, then San Diego airport would be the butt."

• By Mercy Baron

10 ) Coming Soon: The Bellows

A new artisanal venture from the creator of Churchill’s Pub

3,000 square foot space with exhibition-style dining at the bar around the oven, along with a plethora of other seating options — bar, single and communal tables, banquettes, petite bar tops, and a lounge area featuring punched leather chairs. An additional 40 seats available outside and accessible via roll-up, windowed garage-style doors.

• By Brandon Hernández