HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Temperatures are above freezing and no snow is in the forecast for an entire week. Maybe that furry groundhog did know what he was talking about? I hope all of you enjoy and safe and snow-free Presidents Day weekend.

As you are out and about, in the car or on foot, watch out for the black ice that forms after the melting during the day and the cold temperatures at night. I have already found a few patches of that myself.

There are lots of things going on in the area this weekend, so I hope you get to check out some of the local community events. The Fitness Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. this holiday Monday to accommodate those of you who want to get your workout in earlier. Thanks for using the surveys to let us know what you need. Also, don't forget to mark your calendar for next Thursday's Steak Night at the club. See you there!

Question: The 1100 block buildings have many reserved spots and I initially thought spots were supposed to be for GS-15s and above and department heads. Recently, junior workforce and contractors have been granted reserved spots. I feel this should not be the case.

Response: We checked into reserve spots in the 1100 block and identified the spots are reserved for each branch chief on the basis of population of high grade scientists and engineers. If you see someone else parking in those spots, it is probably a mistake.

The Hanscom policy for allocation of reserved parking spaces is prescribed in the 66th Air Base Group's supplement to AFI 31-204, Air Force Motor Vehicle Traffic Supervision. This supplement can be accessed on CenterNet.

The supplement authorizes reserved parking spaces for a variety of personnel, to include commanders, directors and a limited number of administrative personnel. Reserved parking spaces are to be located at the discretion of the ranking organization located in the particular building and assigned as outlined in the supplement.

The facility manager is responsible for submitting a letter of authorization and assignment to security forces for each reserved parking space on an annual basis, and security forces is authorized to provide traffic enforcement for violations of the supplement.

With the departure of personnel at the Air Force Research Laboratory, the reserved parking situation in the 1100 area has been dynamic, and parking spaces previously reserved in accordance with the supplement may no longer be needed.

Your facility manager can help determine if previously reserved parking spaces can now be opened for general use. If this is the case, Civil Engineering will remove reserved parking signs at the request of the facility manager.

Who knew parking could be so complicated, but we do have rules for most everything. If you want to know, just ask. Happy President's Day!