Overture’s Elimination of Students’ Tardiness Is Music to This Teacher’s Ears

Substitute teacher Val Rodriguez of Signal Hill reports that he recently worked at a middle school that “played the sounds of the ‘William Tell Overture’ in the halls between classes, encouraging the pupils to avoid a tardy.”

The result? The theme from TV’s “The Lone Ranger” inspired every one of Rodriguez’s kids to be on time the entire week.

I wonder if that composition would help the Harvey children rise in the morning.

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From the Lone Ranger to the Naked Cowboy: A few years ago, a reader reported a sighting of a guitar-holding hitchhiker, clad only in undershorts, boots and a cowboy hat, on the Simi Valley Freeway.

I would have been skeptical had I not also received a phone message that began: “This is John Robert Burck, the Naked Cowboy....”

I guess the sidewalk singer is still hoping for that big break. He was snapped in Times Square the other day, showing he’ll belt out a tune under any conditions (see photo). You’d think he’d at least get an endorsement from Fruit of the Loom.

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Will Anaheim be saying goodbye to Mickey? As if Disney didn’t have enough problems with the failure of “Treasure Planet” and all, a village in Austria now says it is the true home of Mickey Mouse.

The creature recently was found on a medieval church fresco in Malta (see photo).

“The similarity to Mickey Mouse is so astounding that Disney could lose its world copyright,” tourism guru Siggi Neuschitzer was quoted as saying in the London Telegraph. He added the town would consult with lawyers, presumably to begin construction of Maltaland.

Disney has always contended that the mouse was first sketched by founder Walt in the 1920s.

The 14th century version is kneeling at the feet of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers. An art historian said the large ears on the creature could be explained by a myth that it gave birth from its ears.

Which might also explain why Mickey has such a high-pitched voice.

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Just another hot time on the old campus: Cal Poly Pomona’s newspaper said that a fire alarm at the school “was activated by a smoking bag of burnt popcorn.”

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Food for thought: Dick Seibel of Glendale, who spotted “embezzled eggs” on a menu in Spain, writes: “I was reminded of the famous hobo stew recipe that begins, ‘First you steal a chicken.... ‘ “

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MiscelLAny: Cyber columnist and actor Phil Proctor offers this thought for the day: “Did you ever wonder why you never see the headline: ‘Psychic Wins Lottery’?”

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.