Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Mass Meltdown, a send-off to winter, will be held at the Massanutten Resort on Mar. 14. (Massanutten Resort)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: However tempting hibernating under a warm blanket with a good show to binge may be, there are other ways to bust the winter blues. Luckily, Virginia offers plenty of opportunities to engage in fun and uplifting activities. 

Our top picks: 

• The Arlington County Parks & Recreation department offers a range of art classes, workshops, and studio programs for folks of all ages to support county residents as they seek to maintain a healthy, balanced life. The department emphasized that its art offerings help reduce stress and encourage social interaction.

• River City Roll takes bowling to the next level with HyperBowling, which utilizes moving targets on the bumpers that the players either try to hit or avoid. A variety of games are available with vibrant bumper targets worth different values, and pins worth 100 points each. Surprisingly, this is one of only eight bowling facilities in the world to offer HyperBowling.

• Even though the weather is still cold, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun outdoors at Massanutten Resort, a 6,000-acre mountain destination. It offers skiing, snowboarding, tubing, ice skating, and a range of other fun winter-related activities.

Ready to go? We’ve got fun activities for you to enjoy throughout the state at the link below. 

Colton Knowles enjoys a toasted lettuce and tomato sandwich at Ruben’s Too in Danville. (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)

By Amie Knowles

I absolutely love visiting local restaurants. Not only does it make me feel great to support a small business, it also keeps me happy because I don’t have to cook.

A generational spot for our family is Ruben’s. The original location in Danville opened in 1960 as Wimpy’s, switched to its current name 12 years later when one of the two owners sold his half to the other, and landed at its current spot at 5000 Riverside Dr. in 1983. 

Ruben Moore, the restaurant’s namesake, was genuinely amazing. We went a lot when I was growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, and he told me he had “the best” pickles and tomatoes—favorites that I’d order on the side and eat plain. He was right. 

Nowadays, there are two locales: The Riverside location and Ruben’s Too at 2449 Franklin Tpke. No matter which one you choose, you genuinely can’t go wrong. It’s everything you could want in a diner—delicious, quickly prepared food, and ran by the nicest folks ever. It’s also one of the few sit-down places where our family of three can eat for around $25. 

The next time you’re down in Danville, I encourage you to stop by and give it a try. Besides, Ruben was right—the food, the atmosphere, and the price all make it one of “the best.”

On Monday, we revealed that $11 billion went to President Donald Trump’s war on Iran during the conflict’s first week. We asked what you’d rather see the money spent on.

I love the email I received from Dogwood reader Susanne K.: “Spend it on schools, health care = ANYTHING, but not WAR!”

It’s never too late to join the conversation. My inbox is open to you at amie@couriernewsroom.com. 

Become civically engaged in Virginia. (Photo by Justin Ide / for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

By Ava Edwards

Looking for a way to get involved this weekend? We’re highlighting Saturday events to be a part of in Virginia.

Join in:

• Suffolk Democratic Committee: Suffolk EggStravaganza (Suffolk, multiple times) An event promoting voter registration and awareness of Virginia’s redistricting. 

• Spotsylvania County Democratic Committee: Food Drive (Spotsylvania, multiple times) This SCDC food drive partners with the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank to help food-insecure neighbors and families in Northern Virginia. 

• Isle of Wight County Democratic Committee: Vote Yes on Redistricting Event (Smithfield, 10 – 11:30 am) An event in support of Virginia’s redistricting.
• Loudoun Indivisible: No Kings 3 BIG Sign Making Event (Paeonian Springs, 1 – 3 pm) Make signs for overpasses for the No Kings 3 event.

For more civic events throughout the week, click the link below. 

• Did you catch Dogwood’s very own Michael O’Connor on RVA’s Got Issues? Our political correspondent was a guest on the VPM podcast, where he discussed new labor laws in Virginia. (Listen here)

• It’s official—US Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) filed for a fourth Senate run. The incumbent faces several Democratic primary challengers for the first time in his US Senate career.⁣ (See post)

• Have you gotten any mail about the redistricting amendment? Be on the lookout because one organization is drawing on Jim Crow imagery to scare voters from voting in favor of the maps.⁣ (See post)

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