A Disney Legacy

During her 30 years as Walt Disney’s live-in cook and housekeeper, Thelma Pearl Howard was given a few shares of Disney stock. Its value grew so much that a foundation was established upon her death in 1994. This week the foundation gave more than $300,000 to 15 nonprofits that aid children. Among the groups: San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic in Northridge ($25,498) and Stone Soup Child Care Programs of Encino ($24,000).

* BAGGING IT: Valley residents such as Melissa Dunn, filling sandbags above, are preparing for two more storms expected to hit this week. B3

BORIS YARO / Los Angeles Times

* LAYOFFS: Computer hard-drive manufacturer Micropolis Corp. has gone out of business, laying off more than 2,400 workers, including 300 at its headquarters in Chatsworth. D2

* MUDDERS DAY: No one in sunny Los Angeles knows how to handle rain, from freeway drivers to football players. So says columnist Eric Sondheimer. C6

BRIAN VANDER BRUG / Los Angeles Times

* HIGH TECH: The “Highway 101 technology corridor,” which stretches from Calabasas to Camarillo, is possibly the hottest place on the cutting edge of technology in the country. D1