By Liz Beavers
lbeavers@newstribune.info
Tribune Managing Editor
KEYSER – What began as a labor of love at the Mineral Daily News Tribune and quickly turned into a community-wide effort which branched out to include contributors from all over the globe, the Kelley Magazine has arrived and is now on sale.
The 72-page, glossy magazine begins with a glimpse of Congressional Medal of Honor winner Jonah Edward Kelley as a young man and takes the reader through his service to his country, the fateful day on Jan. 31, 1945, when he lost his life in heated battle in Kesternich, Germany, and the somber day when his friends and family gathered to say good-bye to the hometown hero.
It includes the birth of the J. Edward Kelley Award, the J. Edward Kelley Society, and the Keyser High Legion of Honor, and outlines how Kelley’s comrades from the 78th Lightning Division got involved and made the pilgrimage to Keyser on the second Wednesday of every April, one of the highlights of their year.
The magazine also includes photos and personal comments from several nominees of the award over the years, and much, much more.
News Tribune publisher Dave Boden said the timing for producing a tribute to Keyser’s Medal of Honor winner this year was perfect.
“With this being the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, and the 65th anniversary of the Kelley Awards, this was just a natural fit,” he said.
Before the News Tribune staff jumped into the project, however, Boden says he wanted to make sure the magazine received the blessing of several key people. Among them were Kelley Award recipients Bob Dorsey, Dallas Adams, Ed Smith, and Keyser Moose Lodge member Howard “Buck” Barrick.
“If any of those individuals would have had any reservations or not given their blessing, we would never have tackled it,” he said.
The gentlemen did give their blessing, though, as did many  others, and the Kelley Magazine took off. Soon, winners and nominees – as well as family members and others who have been involved in various aspects over the years – began calling or stopping by the News Tribune offices to offer photos, stories, copies of programs and newspaper articles and, most importantly, stories about how Kelley or the award had touched their lives.
“We really want to thank everybody who reached out to us,” Boden said. “We couldn’t have begun to do this without all the help.”
Both Boden and Andrew Arthur, who had the gargantuan task of designing how the photos and information would be best showcased in a magazine format, admit the task was a bit scary at first.
“We had never done a magazine before, but while the advertising reps were selling advertising and the editorial staff was writing stories, Andrew was actively studying magazine layouts and getting ideas on how he wanted to put it together,” Boden said.
“His job was more than just to put everything on the pages; he had to put it together in a way that it told  the story of Kelley – from his life here in town to where the award is today.
“He did a phenomenal job,” he said.
“A full magazine could’ve been a daunting task for anybody, let alone for a first-timer with little knowledge of the subject matter involved,” Arthur said.
“But after direction from our managing editor, along with essential help from the community, a point came in Kelley where a story began. Once that realization set in, I knew my job was to tell that story in the words and pictures gathered.
“I hope I did Kelley justice, and I was honored to be a part of something lasting and important,” he said.
Arthur, who’s main job is design and layout on the Mineral Daily News Tribune and Frankfort Beacon,  also credits news reporter Richard Kerns and sports editor Michael Minnich for “stepping up while I worked on Kelley in order to keep the newspaper moving along seamlessly.
“We didn’t just close house on the newspaper for a week and become a magazine,” he said.
Those who have already seen the magazine say it has actually exceeded expectations.
Dallas Adams, recipient of the Kelley Award in1948, was the first person outside the News Tribune staff to see a copy. He was followed shortly, however, by Judge C. Reeves Taylor (recipient 1952), Ed and Elrose Smith, and Barrick.
“They all seem to be really pleased,” Boden said. “And I think the general public is going to be really pleased, too.”
Copies of Kelley are now on sale at the News Tribune office, 24 Armstrong St., for $7.55 plus tax. They will also be offered for sale at some area businesses.
In the near future, Boden also hopes to enlist some non-profit organizations to help sell the publication for a percentage of the profit.
Anyone who would like to have the magazine mailed to them should include an additional $2.45 to help cover the cost of shipping.
Boden says he hopes the magazine will help spark an interest in turning the 65th anniversary of the Jonah Edward Kelley Award into something even more special.