At PrintingCenterUSA, we love seeing print used to celebrate community milestones and preserve meaningful moments. For Mike Martin and the City of Basehor Parks and Recreation Department, their “Year 1 in Review” book did exactly that.

What began as a simple idea to document a brand new parks program quickly became a way to honor a city’s first year of events, programs, and community gatherings.

Thinking About Creating a Book for Your Organization or Community?

Printed books are a powerful way to document milestones, celebrate achievements, and share stories that matter. Whether you are showcasing a program, preserving a special event, or creating an annual report, a well designed book can turn a year’s worth of memories into something people can hold and revisit.

Start with your story
Highlight the events, people, and moments that made the year special.

Use photos to capture energy
Images of real events help readers feel connected to the experience.

Organize by theme or season
Grouping events makes the story easier to follow and more engaging.

Design for browsing
Large photos, clear captions, and simple layouts make books enjoyable to flip through.

Use print to create permanence
A printed book preserves memories in a way digital files often cannot.

About Mike Martin

Mike Martin serves as the Parks and Recreation Coordinator for the City of Basehor, Kansas. In 2025, he helped launch the city’s first full year of Parks and Recreation programming, creating opportunities for residents of all ages to gather, celebrate, and connect.

From concerts and outdoor movies to festivals and art events, Mike’s goal has been to build experiences that bring the community together while highlighting the city’s growing public spaces.

As the first year of programming came to a close, Mike wanted a way to capture the excitement and share the story of what the community had built together.

The Challenge

2025 marked a major milestone for Basehor with the opening of several new attractions at the Civic Campus, including:

• An outdoor amphitheater
• A splash pad
• A sledding hill

With these new spaces came a full calendar of public events, including:

• Concerts on 3rd Thursdays
• Cinema Sundays outdoor movie nights
• The citywide Basehor’s Blooming Festival
• Art in the Park
• Senior Picnics
• And many additional community activities

After such a successful first year, Mike wanted a way to document and celebrate the program’s launch. The project needed to showcase the events, highlight the new facilities, and serve as a keepsake for city leaders and residents alike.

He envisioned something that would not only commemorate the year but also help new community members understand what Basehor Parks and Recreation offers.

The Printing Solution

To bring the idea to life, Mike partnered with PrintingCenterUSA to produce a printed “Year 1 in Review” book that captured the highlights of the program’s inaugural year.

Specs:
Size 8.5 x 11 (8.5 x 11 Inch)
Binding Perfect Bind
Pages 60
Cover Ink (4/4) Full Color Both Sides
Inside Ink (4/4) Full Color Both Sides
Cover Paper 100# Cardstock Gloss (9 pt.)
Inside Paper 100# Paper Gloss (5 pt.)
Cover Finish (UV) High Gloss

The book serves as both a visual recap and a storytelling piece, filled with images and information from the events and programs that defined the department’s first season.

Book Print Specs

• Product: Perfect Bound Book
• Size: 8.5 x 11 inches
• Printing: Full color
• Use: Community display and city leadership distribution

The book format allowed the department to present their work in a polished, professional way while creating something residents could easily browse and enjoy.

The Impact

The finished books quickly became more than just a recap of the year.

Mike shared:

“2025 marked the first year of the Basehor Parks and Recreation program for the City of Basehor in Kansas. With the opening of an amphitheater, splash pad, and sledding hill at Civic Campus, we were able to offer Concerts (3rd Thursdays), outdoor movies (Cinema Sundays), a city festival (Basehor’s Blooming Festival), Art in the Park, Senior Picnics, and much more. The book we produced with PrintingCenterUSA was a way to commemorate the inaugural Parks and Recreation programming in a fun, memorable, and meaningful way. Our elected officials are so supportive of our programs, I wanted to give them something they could reflect on with pride. We also keep the books in our lobby so new community members can see the events and programming we offer.”

Today, the books are displayed in the Parks and Recreation lobby, where visitors and new residents can flip through the pages and see the programs that bring the Basehor community together.

For city leadership, the book serves as a lasting record of the department’s first year and the impact those programs had on the community.

Looking Ahead

As Basehor Parks and Recreation continues to grow, the Year 1 in Review book marks the beginning of what will likely become many years of community programming and shared experiences.

Projects like this show how print can do more than share information. It can celebrate progress, strengthen community pride, and preserve the moments that bring people together.

At PrintingCenterUSA, we are proud to help communities like Basehor turn their stories into meaningful printed pieces that residents can revisit for years to come.

Start your own custom book project today at PrintingCenterUSA.

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