Page 14 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • April 1, 2009 Business Milestones Pediatrics hosts Open House this weekend Milestones Pediatrics recently opened for business at 810 Franklin Avenue in Franklin Lakes. Owner Lisa-Ann B. Michaels says, “We’re excited by the great response from the community. The practice is growing quickly and it’s our highest priority to assure that the rapid growth does not have an adverse effect on the quality of care that we provide.” The practice is hosting an Open House on Friday, April from 2 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be catered by the Market Basket. Children are welcome and will receive a surprise for attending. Milestones Pediatrics requests that you RSVP to emichael s@milestonespediatrics.com and let them know which day you will attend and the number of attendees. RSVP is not mandatory, but would be appreciated. Dr. Michaels follows the practices of the American Board of Pediatrics, and believes in practicing up-to-date evidence based medicine. “I’m not so rigid in my practice that I’d refuse to see a patient whose parent might disagree with me on a topic. On the contrary, the parents in this area are highly educated and I want them to be involved in their children’s health and to engage them in a dialogue about the treatment plan. Not all patients are alike and we try to come up with something that works for each and every family.” Milestones Pediatrics intends to bring in other physicians as volume increases, but right now it’s just Dr. Michaels. “The goal is not to grow so large that there are too many doctors in the group. We plan to stay relatively small, so that each physician knows each patient personally. Right now after hours, the office phone is forwarded directly to a cell phone that’s with me 24/7. I also have the patients electronic medical record with me when in or out of the office. This way, even if I’m home, I can view the complete patient record to check for allergies to certain medicines, past medical history, etc.” Having grown up in Wyckoff, Dr. Michaels explains that opening a practice in the neighborhood where she was raised has special meaning to her. “I’ve always been a part of this community and I’ve had such a wonderful experience growing up here. Bergen County is such a beautiful place and has so much to offer. Like all parents in the neighborhood, I hope that my kids have the same opportunity that I’ve had here. The practice feels like it’s my small way to give back. Everything is very personal with what we do and it’s a feeling that’s felt by us and the families we care for.” Milestones Pediatrics has an open-door policy and encourages people to stop in to introduce themselves and become acquainted with the practice. The office is open every weekday, and the doctor is able to see sick patients in need on evenings and weekends. Dr. Michaels is on staff at both Hackensack University Medical Center and The Valley Hospital. Omaha Way (continued from page 11) the site, Hipolit advised the board. He said the board could not restrict the fencing in of the lots to permit wildlife to roam through because the lots would be private property and if the future buyers of the lots want to fence the lots in they could do so. He also described the proposed retaining walls, saying they would consist of a tiered wall system that would be 60 feet high, but no individual wall would be higher than four feet. When some members of the board voiced concern about granting a subdivision approval without seeing a conceptual view of the retaining walls, because future buyers of the lots might want to change the retaining wall system, Vogel told the board he would agree to language in the board’s approval resolution that the approval of the subdivision should not be construed to be an approval of the individual site plans. John Spizziri, the board’s attorney, advised that the plans show the maximum disturbance and retaining walls for the site no matter what size house is constructed, and that would be part of the approval of the subdivision regardless of the size of house being built. The board is scheduled to continue this public hearing April 1. FLOW Budget (continued from page 4) each municipality, where taxes for municipal purpose budgets, Bergen County, and local open space taxes must also be taken into consideration. The total tax rate is usually not certified by the county until June when all components are combined to determine each property owner’s tax obligation. The school board will hold a public budget hearing April 2 at 7 p.m. in the Ramapo High School auditorium. DePreker advised that the hearing will incorporate a look at the programs offered to district students, presentations from administrators, and a question and answer session. “The board of education is hoping that this open dialogue will provide the citizens of the FLOW area communities the ability to make an informed decision on the upcoming budget,” DePreker said.