DRY TIMES: October usually means the World...

DRY TIMES: October usually means the World Series, hockey and the new rain season. Well, at least one of the three will start on time. . . . Last season was a relatively dry one. In fact, the total rainfall (above) was about half the normal average. It rained about the same amount in Los Angeles, Van Nuys and Newhall. Lancaster, however, received about half as much rain.

MILKEN: To most of the world, he’s known as the junk bond king who went to jail. But to the disadvantaged youngsters served by a Sherman Oaks nonprofit organization, Michael Milken is their good pal. On Friday, he showed up to kick off the Milken Family Foundation Festival For Youth (B2). . . . Who knows? Maybe someday he’ll be forgiven for his crimes. After all, Milken said, “the Catholic Church pardoned Galileo.”

TELETHON: The Nickelodeon cable network’s inaugural telethon for kids will be taped Sunday at Universal Studios. The idea is to encourage youngsters between 2 and 12 to pledge their time to participate in community service activities. . . . Portions of the daylong event will be broadcast live.

FACEOFF: So what if hockey has been put on ice for a while (C1). There’s plenty of puck to watch right here. . . . Amateurs compete in adult hockey leagues at Iceoplex in North Hills and Pickwick Ice Arena in Burbank. The caliber is pretty good, and it’s free. Participants include ex-Kings defenseman Rick Chartraw, actor Dave Coulier and television producer David Kelley.

EXTENSION: The quake is almost 9 months old, but some people are just now realizing how much damage they suffered. That’s why Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan is asking that the deadline to seek federal aid be extended from Oct. 17 to Jan. 17, the temblor’s one-year anniversary (B1). . . . Earlier, the deadline had been extended from Sept. 17 to Oct. 17.

Rain Season

Total inches of rain from Oct. 1, 1993, to present:

Lancaster: 4.15

L.A. Civic Center: 8.21

Newhall: 9.92

Van Nuys: 9.47

Sources: Western Regional Climate Center, WeatherData Inc. and Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Works.