While an economic think tank declared the U.S. recession ended in June 2009, that happy recovery hasn't hit Niles yet. The National Bureau of Economic Research, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization which asks economists to crunch data, declared the recession ended and a modest economic expansion began 16 months ago. In Niles, however, people wonder what those economists were thinking. Business people and residents report business is down, foreclosures are up and jobs are scarce. Village statistics yield one glimmer of hope--the rate of businesses closing has fallen dramatically.  Bill…