More than 50,000 people turned out in Guadalajara and Zapopan Tuesday and Wednesday to welcome Amal, a 12-foot-tall puppet of a Syrian refugee child that has become a global symbol of the struggles of refugees.

If you have seen these booths popping up beside major Guadalajara avenues you may be wondering what their purpose is. 

An atmospheric environmental “pre-contingency,” which indicates that the level of harmful particles in the air has exceeded acceptable standards, was issued November 7 in the Las Pintas area of Guadalajara, becoming the 45th one this year in the metro area. 

Almost 4,000 athletes are participating in this week’s Gay Games, with 22 sports being contested at 14 Guadalajara metro-area venues. 

In this monthly series, we republish a few of the headlines from our October editions 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.

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Tourist tips

• Ferry landing complexes are under construction at Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas in preparation for next year’s opening of scheduled ferry service linking the mainland with the southern-most tip of the Baja California peninsula.

There are several Otis collection centers distributed throughout Guadalajara, one of the main ones located in the pedestrian walkway (La Rambla Cataluña) alongside the Universidad de Guadalajara rectory, on Avenida Juárez. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.