TRUE BELIEVER: Lucia Bartoli of Laguna Hills...

TRUE BELIEVER: Lucia Bartoli of Laguna Hills has high hopes for close friend Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald in 1996. A new evidentiary hearing could result in overturning his conviction for the murder of his wife and two small daughters. MacDonald, whose celebrated case has been the subject of two bestselling books and a TV movie, is serving life sentences in a federal prison in Oregon. Bartoli believes he’s innocent and visits him every six weeks. . . . The marketing consultant had met him before his 1979 conviction. She scoffs at some who say she is “mesmerized” by MacDonald: “I mean, I’m 51. How mesmerized am I going to get?”

HIGHER PROFILE: Expect Arena Football to take a bigger piece of the TV market, says the president of Anaheim’s new franchise. The optimism is based on the hiring of former CBS President Neal Pilson as a consultant for the league. . . . “I think Neal’s hiring shows the strength of the league,” says Roy Englebrecht, Anaheim Piranhas president. . . . One of Pilson’s jobs will be to go after more TV time. The league had a few games on ESPN and ESPN2 last season.

HAITI WATCH: Six years ago on her first trip to Haiti, Western State University College of Law professor Kathy Rohr got caught in the middle of a coup, which closed the airport. But she’s been visiting annually ever since, as legal counsel for International Child Care, which runs a hospital there. . . . Rohr also speaks on Haitian issues. . . . Her thoughts on the recent election: “The low voter turnout was an indication this was an election that the United States wanted. The people of Haiti want democracy, but they want control independent of the U.S.”

HALF FULL? Those who use the parking lots at the four local wilderness parks are supposed to deposit $2 into metal boxes, but half are ducking that obligation. So why is county parks supervisor Tim Miller happy? Almost 50% follow the honor system in paying the new fee, planned before the bankruptcy. . . . “Not bad, considering it’s new,” Miller says. “I’m actually a little bit surprised at how well it’s worked out so far.” Warning: The county is discussing possibly citing the deadbeats.