Hundreds march at UC Santa Cruz in Gaza protest, set up Quarry Plaza encampment buff.ly/3Qrp7vC via Keith A. Spencer

Paystand has become the largest and fastest blockchain-enabled payment network for businesses, and it has raised more than $90 million from investors. The company employs over 300 people in seven offices across the United States and in Mexico.

“We don’t trust Workbench,” one neighborhood resident told the city council Tuesday about the project's developer. “This is clearly a play for them to keep trying to redesign a project that jumps through all the loopholes they can find.”

'We just wanted clarity of the issues and adequate information of how we’re going to get this thing done,' Supervisor Bruce McPherson told Lookout. 'There’s a tough road ahead, but that shouldn’t stop it from happening.'

WEDNESDAY'S TOP HEADLINES: Food Bin vote postponed, supes OK rail trail segments, local biz roundup buff.ly/4bk3iX2 <-- New month, new stories from @topherjneely, Max Chun, Jessica M. Pasko, @lilywrenn and more

California passed a law to stop ‘pay to play’ in local politics. After two years, legislators want to gut it buff.ly/3QvoQYD via @calmatters

This week in Santa Cruz County business: Paystand’s progress, food and beverage spots for lease, Joby inks Abu Dhabi partnership buff.ly/4a9bmJi 👈 Get the latest in local biz news and notes via Jessica M. Pasko

‘Get real’: City council, neighborhood blast Food Bin developer, postpone vote on project buff.ly/3WmgDtq via @topherjneely

With latest acquisition, Scotts Valley’s Paystand works to become the Venmo of business payments buff.ly/4dnkxIy via Jessica M. Pasko on Paystand acquiring Teampay and what's next

Board of supervisors unanimously approves two contested segments of Coastal Rail Trail buff.ly/3Wnz2WX via Max Chun

Lily Belli on Food: mushroom festival, Khushbu Shah’s Amrikan & more restaurant closures buff.ly/3UDcX5w via @lilywrenn

‘Look Me in the Eye’ highlights a rich and varied First Friday in Santa Cruz
buff.ly/3xRiJHB via Wallace Baine #SantaCruz #FirstFriday

OPINION: I spent a decade struggling with body image; now I’m 19 and still learning to love food and myself buff.ly/44oDg2l

UCSC sees record applications and admission offers but expects enrollment to remain flat buff.ly/4dmxYc4 via Hillary Ojeda #ucsc #ucsantacruz #HigherEducation #Admissions #santacruz

“I chose to transition here because I thought it would be majorly accepting,” Stone said of Santa Cruz, “and it was.”

The airport's director maintains that the runway closure, if it goes through, would have only a “marginal” impact on airport operations. The asphalt isn’t going anywhere, and will still be available to accommodate pilots and the community in future emergencies, he said.

The road will get 2.7 miles of buffered bike lanes, which involve lanes separated from cars by wider striping that gives more room for bikers, and 2.4 miles of protected bike lanes, which involve a full barrier separating cyclists from automobiles rather than just striping.

“I’m humiliated that this incident happened in my hometown, a city that claims to be progressive, but always seems to fall a little short when it comes to legislation,” one speaker said of the misdemeanor marijuana charge against the cyclist arrested earlier this month.

MONDAY'S TOP HEADLINES: Watsonville runway dispute, criminal justice reform and Soquel Drive overhaul buff.ly/4biss8b <-- Start your week with stories from @topherjneely, Max Chun, Wallace Baine, Thomas Frey and more

High school sports roundup: Baseball, softball races coming down to the wire buff.ly/49WTIYP via Thomas Frey