TO THE RESCUE: Help poured in Thursday...

TO THE RESCUE: Help poured in Thursday for Mary Barbucescu, who couldn’t afford a monthly MTA pass. . . . She was pictured in The Times as part of a story about bus fares, which went up on Wednesday. Unemployed since July, she broke down in tears in the ticket line when she learned of the fare hike. But dozens of people who read her story reached out to help. . . .

OFFERS OF AID: Among those who wanted to help Barbucescu was another unemployed woman, who offered $10. Two CHP dispatchers dropped by her North Hollywood home with cash. And a TV actress who played a factory worker tried to find Barbucescu a real factory job. . . . Although she was thankful, Barbucescu accepted only enough to pay the rent and the monthly bus pass. She still hopes for a job. “It’s been six months of crying,” the Romanian immigrant said. “Maybe God wants me not to suffer anymore.”

CREEPY BIZ: That’s no stupid pet trick. . . . It’s just Andrew Lambros and his iguana, George, above, spending some quality time together. And they aren’t alone. From boa constrictors to giant millipedes, creepy crawlers are gaining ground on puppies and kittens among Valley pet owners. See Valley Life!, Page 10.

PIANO SELLER: For years, record company executives would tell Raul Di Blasio the same thing. “ ‘Sorry, Di Blasio. You don’t sell. Piano music doesn’t sell,’ ” he recalls. Now they’re singing a different tune. . . . The Argentine pianist’s newest album has sold nearly a million copies, and he will play the Universal Amphitheater Saturday for the first time. See Valley Life!, Page 3.

REBUILDING: They’ve lost their coach and eight starters, but Cal State Northridge’s women’s softball team isn’t out of the game yet. . . . Under the tutelage of new coach Janet Sherman, the Matadors have already earned a No. 10 national preseason ranking. See the Softball Preview in Valley Sports (C10).