Around Town

ARLnow Daily Debrief for Jan 24, 2024

By ARLnow.com

Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.

🕗 News recap

The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 24, 2024.

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.

🌧️ Thursday’s forecast

Expect rain and fog with a high near 61 and a southwest wind of 5-8 mph, accompanied by an 80% chance of precipitation and new amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch. Thursday night, rain is likely, as well as potential thunderstorms after 4am, with a low around 55, the same wind conditions, and a 70% chance of precipitation – new rainfall amounts similar to earlier, but potentially higher in thunderstorms. See more from Weather.gov.

💡 Quote of the Day

“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.”
– Anne Frank

🌅 Tonight’s sunset

Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.

News

JUST IN: Former community activist accused of sexual assault found guilty

By ARLnow.com
Elder Julio Basurto speaks during the County Board recessed meeting in 2021 (via Arlington County)

An Arlington man accused of sexually assaulting women he lured into his car in Clarendon has been found guilty on all counts.

Julio Basurto was convicted on four criminal counts after a three-day trial, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington and Falls Church announced Wednesday evening.

The prosecutor’s office noted that Basurto recorded video of one of his attacks.

Police said Basurto would drive up to Clarendon’s nightlife district early in the morning and offer women a ride, then would sexually assault the victim in his car. Detectives are still seeking potential victims from multiple other possible incidents ranging from September 2021 to September 2022.

Basurto was arrested last June, after an assault that occurred on May 21, 2023.

Prior to his arrest, Basurto was frequently quoted by local news outlets as a community activist, often going by his church title, “Elder Julio Basurto.” He was outspoken on local issues from drug overdoses in schools to conditions in affordable apartment complexes.

Basurto also previously worked as an interpreter, including for Arlington Public Schools, according to his LinkedIn profile. He served on an APS advisory committee, received an award from a prominent local nonprofit for his tenant advocacy, and was highlighted by a County Board member on his website’s endorsements page.

More on the trial and conviction, below, from a press release.

Today, following three days of trial and about two hours of deliberation, a jury found Julio Basurto guilty on all charges brought by this office. Mr. Basurto was convicted of two counts of abduction with intent to defile, one count of object of sexual penetration, and one count of forcible sodomy.

These charges stemmed from two separate incidents in the Clarendon area, one on October 10, 2021, and another on May 21, 2023, in which he lured two different women into his car, and sexually assaulted each of them.

During the investigation, it came to light that Mr. Basurto recorded one of the sexual assaults and saved the video on his mobile phone in a file that was double encrypted.

Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nassir Aboreden successfully tried the case and obtained the guilty verdicts from the jury. Our Victim Witness team provided essential support and helped the victims navigate the legal system. The Office is grateful to the ACPD, who doggedly investigated this case since the first reported instance, in 2021, and the Special Victims Unit detectives for their care in preparing the case and sensitivity toward the victims.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said, “I’m grateful the jury came to the right verdict here. It’s hard to say that this is justice because the victims will always have to live with the trauma they have endured in these violent sexual assaults – but this is a win for public safety, so no woman trying to enjoy a night out with her friends has to fear that Mr. Basurto will do the same to them.”

Sadly, based on information obtained during the criminal investigation, detectives believe there may be additional incidents that occurred during the early morning hours on the following dates:

  • September 20, 2021
  • October 3, 2021
  • October 14, 2021
  • September 4, 2022

We urge anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or who has had past inappropriate encounters with Mr. Basurto to contact the Arlington County Police Department’s tip line at 703-228-4180 or [email protected]. Information may also be provided anonymously through the Arlington County Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).

Jo DeVoe contributed to this report

Around Town

Falls Church has twice as many restaurants as Arlington on new Washingtonian ‘100 Very Best’ list

By ARLnow.com
1/5

Falls Church may be pint sized compared to Arlington, but the Little City next door has the county beat handily in a new list of the region’s best restaurants.

Three Arlington restaurants appear in Washingtonian’s just-released 100 Very Best Restaurants list. Twice as many Falls Church restaurants appear in the same pages.

That’s despite solid Northern Virginia representation on the “Very Best” list.

“Some of the year’s coolest spots — Joon in Tysons, Ellie Bird in Falls Church, Kirby Club in Fairfax — debuted in the Virginia suburbs,” the magazine noted in its introduction. In all, 21 Virginia eateries were listed.

Those in Arlington are:

  1. Cafe Colline
  2. Ruthie’s All Day
  3. Padaek (which recently opened in Arlington and has another location in Seven Corners)

The six in Falls Church are:

  1. Ellie Bird
  2. La Tingeria (formerly an Arlington food truck)
  3. Nue
  4. Pho Ga Vang
  5. Rice Paper
  6. Thompson Italian
Sponsored

Arts Focus: Workshops for artists and arts organizations resume on Feb. 8

By ARLnow.com Sponsor

This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.

Our new capacity-building series for artists and arts organizations is off to a great start!

There are several more opportunities for you to sharpen the skills critical to successfully navigating the business and communications aspects of your creative endeavors. The remaining sessions cover cultural intelligence, arts marketing insights, creating content in a digital world and more. All workshops are virtual, except for the final program, which is held in person at Arlington’s Studio Pause.

The workshops are presented by the Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies (NVLAA) consortium. Comprised of the arts agencies of Arlington County, the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County, the group is designed to expand resources and opportunities for artists and arts organizations throughout the NOVA area.

Below is an overview of the series of workshops offered through spring 2024. Panelists and additional information for several of the programs is forthcoming. For more details and to register, click here.

Cultural Intelligence for Arts Organizations and Artists with Brighter Strategies 

Feb. 8, 12-1:30 p.m.
Facilitated by: Ann Romosz of Brighter Strategies

In an increasingly interconnected and diverse world, navigating and thriving in culturally rich environments has become an essential skill. This workshop will empower the participants with the tools, knowledge and insights needed to develop a heightened awareness of different cultures, enhance cross-cultural communication skills, and cultivate a deep sense of cultural sensitivity. Whether you’re interacting with colleagues, clients or partners from around the globe, the principles and practices you’ll discuss here will enable you to foster respectful and effective collaborations while fostering an inclusive and harmonious environment.

Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls

Feb. 22, 12-1:30 p.m.
Facilitated by: New York Foundation for the Arts

Artists are constantly applying for exhibitions and residencies. Many creative opportunities start with an open call. How can you ensure you put your best foot forward when submitting these applications?

Drawing upon the perspective of arts decision-makers who run residencies, jury exhibitions and review project proposals, this panel discussion will cover:

  • Where to find open calls for art exhibitions, residencies and more
  • How to determine if an opportunity is right for you
  • Tips for compiling and presenting your work samples
  • What reviewers like to see in the application statement/narrative
  • Insights into the behind-the-scenes review process

Promotional Partnerships: Creative Ways to Attract New Audiences
March 7, 12-1:30 p.m.

The marketing leaders of Arlington Cultural Affairs, Arts Fairfax and the Office of the Arts, City of Alexandria will highlight unique promotional partnerships that widen the exposure of an arts activity through shared resources. They’ll guide you through interactive exercises to strengthen your ability to tell your story, identify a prospective partner, and grow your project’s reach.

Marketing Tools of the Trade with Substantial Art and Music

March 21, 12-1:30 p.m.
Facilitated by: Substantial Art & Music

Substantial Art & Music will provide artists and arts organizations with tools in social media marketing and analytics and passive income/monetization for both visual and performing arts.

Creating Content in a Digital World

April 4, 12-1:30 p.m.
Facilitated by: New York Foundation for the Arts

In today’s digital world, creatives are often expected to create content representing their artistic practice and their art itself. Yet most artists are not professional content producers, or at least didn’t start that way.

This workshop will explore how artists can professionally and creatively develop content to build their audience online. Expert Molaundo Jones, who runs the marketing initiatives for a world-renowned organization for producing creative content, Art21, will lead the presentation as Senior Director of Communications and Partnerships. Jones will discuss strategies for developing social media and YouTube content and provide time for Q&A.

Community Engagement with Studio Pause

May 2, 5-6:30 p.m.
In-person at Studio Pause, 4710 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204
Facilitated by: Sushmita Mazumdar of Studio Pause

Artists and arts organizations get an overview of ways to engage the community they are trying to serve. Instructor Sushmita Mazumdar will share how her artist’s projects and others she has observed or been part of hope to use art to achieve long-term outcomes, try new processes and build relationships.

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