The news understandably garnered only a few lines in the Trib last week, but city leaders did voice pride that a local, 1,000-square-foot, cinder-block hamburger joint in North Waco claimed naming rights for Riverbend Park ballfields.

That’s right. Not one of the big food outlets but a little piece of hamburger heaven called Dubl-R Burgers, occupying a modest spot in the 1800 block of Herring Avenue.

Count me among those proud to see the ballpark crowned Dubl-R Fields at Riverbend Park — so immortalized, at least, until 2014, when the $12,500-a-year contract runs its course and patrons from far and wide will have had one of the best hamburgers in Central Texas.

Longtime owner Perry Weaver says he’s proud, too — and lucky. His team has been doing concessions at the city park the past few years (with up to $45,000 annually going into city coffers), and Weaver found the city more than happy to accept his bid for naming rights, especially given that larger corporations weren’t interested with the recession still in play.

City Manager Larry Groth, during last week’s city council meeting, said some bigger restaurants were approached about the idea but none showed interest, “so I was pretty pleased we found somebody in Waco who wanted to do this.”

Some of us at the Trib have strong allegiances to Dubl-R Burgers, cholesterol counts notwithstanding. I’ve told editorial board colleagues that whenever I want to find out what the common man really thinks, I drive over to Dubl-R Burgers, sit on one of those swivel seats at the counter and listen to David Maddison, 36, freely offer patrons his opinions on news, sports and life in general.

Occasionally, he even pauses long enough for customers to give their two cents.

Copies of the Waco Tribune-Herald and Dallas Morning News are always nearby, evidence of Maddison’s voracious reading habits. They’re also required reading for anyone who wants to keep up with him on current events as he works alongside other kitchen regulars, including burger-flipping colleague Clint “Shine” Kelly Jr.

Both have been with Weaver, 35, almost since the beginning in 1996 when Weaver, 21 and bored with his studies at Baylor University, talked his dad into co-signing a loan to purchase Dubl-R Burgers. (The restaurant name comes from the duo who operated the place previously; both were named Robert.)

Weaver spent the next several years working there daily, learning the business and cultivating the colorful clientele who frequent the place.

Little has changed, except that because of Maddison and Shine, the place pulsates with personality, which is as much of the restaurant’s appeal as the food.

“I don’t think you could ever duplicate it,” Weaver said. “The personalities really make it.”

For the record, Maddison’s news-filled banter with customers isn’t an act.

“That’s just David being David,” Weaver said. “One thing I’ve tried to do is, because I haven’t been able to offer them certain benefits, I’ve tried to at least offer a relaxed atmosphere while they’re working here.”

Yesterday, Maddison was carrying on about everything from young ballplayers at Riverbend Park (“I have to break it to the parents sometimes that their kid’s not the next A-Rod!”) to Baylor’s chances against Nebraska this weekend (“Nebraska has the best defense and worst offense in the league — I think we have a good chance of winning.”). He also teased Reggie Jackson, athletics manager at the city ballpark, whose birthday is Halloween and who says people always come to his birthday parties in costume.

Another thing I like about Dubl-R Burgers is that everybody there seems to be a celebrity — which is good because few of the real thing come to visit.

“I wasn’t there, but David tells me Ted Nugent came by once,” Weaver said. “To my knowledge, he’s never been back. And we have a customer who comes in and is a relative of Jessica Simpson and is always talking about bringing her by but without it being a big public thing. He never has, but then I’m not sure how easily you could keep Jessica Simpson’s visit quiet in a 1,000-square-foot building.”