Recession takes a toll on cemeteries

There's an old saying about death being a recession-proof business. After all, come hell or high water (or maybe because of them), somebody's going to die. But the nation's cemeteries are facing a tough row to hoe as recession-weary consumers pare down burial plans and escalating real-estate prices crimp land purchases.

That's leaving some in Provincetown, Mass., to wonder if the town cemetery, with just six plots left, won't soon run out of space, reports USAToday. While the Cape Cod community has set aside money to acquire two acres of adjacent land, it isn't certain the town council will release the money to fund the purchase, when other needs, such as schools and street maintenance, are also under the surgeon's knife.