For some people, Joseph "Junior" Hall was a clown. For others, he was Santa Claus. But for the borough of Export, he was the businessman who provided a gift the borough hopes will lead to a revitalization of the town.

When Hall died in April 2006, he made sure to take care of friends through his will. The community of Export was one of those friends.

Hall's will directed part of his estate to be placed in a trust, and any income it received would go to the borough to be used for aesthetic improvements.

Besides the trust, Hall also left property in Murrysville near Old William Penn Highway and Cozy Inn Cutoff and the "Mellon Property" on Old William Penn Highway to the borough.

So far, his trust has been used to pay for landscape services and for $30,000 worth of decorations for Hall's favorite holiday, Christmas.

For his generosity to the borough in life and death, Hall is the Murrysville Star's 2008 Citizen of the Year for Export.

Councilman Dave Pascuzzi says about $80,000 from the trust was available to the borough last year.

A trust committee of council members Barry Delissio and John Nagoda, borough Solicitor Wes Long, Wayne Norris and Don Hilty is in charge of overseeing how the money is spent.

Pascuzzi says he is satisfied with how that system has worked.

"I think the trust is doing a good job," he says.

Hall was from Export, Long says, and even after moving to Murrysville and becoming a member of its council, he never forgot his hometown.

"He was always fond of the borough of Export," Long says.

Money for the aesthetic projects comes from a trust that includes any items from Hall's estate not given specifically to one person or organization.

Long says the total value of the trust isn't yet known because the estate hasn't been closed.

According to records from Westmoreland County, Hall is the owner of more than 100 acres of property in Murrysville, Export and Washington Township. That includes land for coal mining.

The money that has come into the trust has helped improve both the look of the community and the feeling of its residents.

Councilwoman Melanie Litz helps organize the borough's annual light-up night. She says the decorations helped make the event even more special for the community.

"I know a lot of young people got a kick out of it," she says.

Hall didn't wait until his death to bring Christmas to the borough.

He was famous for dressing as Santa Claus, tying antlers to the front of his Cadillac and driving through town to ring in the season.

The decorations serve as an ongoing reminder of that tradition.

"He was a big fan of Christmas," Litz says. "This isn't for just one year. This is for every year."

Besides his role as Santa Claus, Long says, Hall also played a clown with Shriners Circus when they visited hospitals and performed in the Pittsburgh area.

Along with the decorations, Hall's memory will live on in a variety of other projects that are still taking shape.

The trust is considering a plan to improve the downtown portion of the borough and attract new businesses to the town, Litz says.

The project will outline a logical order of steps required to improve the town.

"We want to have a list to work from," Litz says.

Pascuzzi says the trust could allow the borough to apply for matching grants for projects such as moving utilities underground.

The borough took the time to honor Hall during his life with "Junior Hall Day" in 2005. He's also responsible for land used as a playground in the borough.

Hall had no surviving relatives and also left money to a variety of friends and organizations including the Export Volunteer Fire Department.