John Navarrette This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. FresnoBee.com: Metro: County tunes up hunt for antique tractors

   www.fresnobee.com/local/story/ - [Cached]

   Published on: 5/3/2004   Last Visited: 5/3/2004

   It has been a year since county General Services Manager John Navarrette began searching for the people who bought the old farm machinery at an April 2001 auction. He found several buyers.
   ...
   Navarrette sent museum board members to Bratton's house to see what equipment he had and whether he would sell it back.
   ...
   Unfortunately, Navarrette said, no one from the museum ever told him that, or that Bratton's equipment wasn't of much value to the museum. Navarrette said he figured museum officials were pleased with what they found, so he stopped searching for the rest of the equipment.
   
   "They haven't told me that it's the bigger pieces they were looking for," Navarrette said.
   ...
   Using auction records, Navarrette found Bratton.
   ...
   Navarrette made several phone calls to the Bakersfield and Madera buyers but didn't reach them.
   
   After connecting the museum board with Bratton, Navarrette said, he stopped searching for the rest of the equipment.
   
   He said he figured board members had the majority of the items back.
   ...
   Clark has contacted Navarrette, and the effort to recover the trucks and tractors has resumed.
   ...
   Said Navarrette: "Now understanding where they are, I told them that I would continue the hunt for it."
   
   The reporter can be reached at kginis@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6317.