'I Wish Him The Best': Former Moore Mayor Leaves Lasting Legacy

For the first time in 30 years, the City of Moore has elected a new mayor.

Unofficial results show candidate Mark Hamm picked up nearly 57 percent of the vote Tuesday night.

The election was the first since 1994 that didn’t include Glenn Lewis. Those close to Lewis say, if not for recent health problems, the long time mayor would have run again.

It may be a new day in Moore with a new name in office, but change is nothing new for the city. That’s especially true to those who remember the 'old Moore.'

“Just a farming community. There wasn’t even a bridge over I-35,” Tim Lewis said about the Moore he grew up in.

Lewis spent most of his life in the community. His 48-year-old business, Lewis Jewelers, has become a town staple.

The same could be said of the one who helped him start it, his brother Glenn.

“When I was 19, he said 'let’s open our own store,'” he said. “I thought about it for a minute and said 'okay.'”

He also recalls his reaction being a bit different when his brother told him he planned to run for Mayor.

“I thought he was an absolute nut,” said Lewis.

The shelf in Glenn’s store office has little space filled with mementos from his time in public life, Christmas cards from world leaders alongside accolades.

“Barack Obama brought it to him,” said Tim, holding up a bottle of beer brewed in the White House.

The items are a testament to what he helped build.

After May 3, 1999, he was tasked with rebuilding. He would do so again after May 20, 2013.

“It will be different around City Hall,” said former City Manager, Steve Eddy.

He worked directly with Mayor Lewis for 17 years.

“You know a lot of people just love the guy,” Eddie said. “That’s a good way to put it.”

Eddy had an up close look at the changes in Moore over the last 30 years.

“The population growth, the retail, development,” he said. “Nobody will be able to say that Glenn, Mayor Lewis, didn’t make his mark on the community. It’s out there everywhere you look.”

For Tim Lewis, the change was inevitable.

“It’s time,” he said. “It’s time to rest and enjoy something besides that.”

It’s time for the city to begin a new chapter.

“The next fellow that gets to be in that spot has big shoes to fill,” Tim said. “I wish him the best.”