Recession special!

Maine's state parks likely benefitted from the crappy economy in 2009 -- the fact that people were spending less on non-essentials, etc. Numbers released yesterday by the state Department of Conservation show that 165,000 more visits were made to the state parks last year than in 2008, a 7.6-percent increase. Overnight camping was up by one percent, and day visits climbed 8.3 percent. Some of the parks that saw significant increases were Fort Point, in Stockton Springs; Kettle Cove; and Damariscotta Lake. Hoping for more hype, Governor John Baldacci will next week proclaim 2010 "Maine State Parks Year," to celebrate the park system's 75th anniversary.