The Settles Family
Building Community Through Biking and Volunteerism
Barb Settles, along with her daughter Moneeka and grandson Casey, are committed to fostering community connections via the power of pedaling.
A Family Tradition on Two Wheels
Moneeka Settles, Sean McEnroe, and their son, Casey, moved to Ashland in 2011 when Casey was just three years old. “My husband has always been someone who biked when he could,” Moneeka recalls. “We lived in Portland and Michigan before, and we’ve always been hikers and bikers. When we were in San Francisco, I biked to work there, even when I was pregnant with Casey.”
Barb joined her daughter Moneeka in Ashland after retiring in 2015, having spent over 30 years as an elementary teacher overseas. Before making Ashland her permanent home, Barb would visit during summer breaks, and grew increasingly fond of the community that repeatedly told her, “You’ve got to live here.”
“My passion has always been getting to know the community, and there’s no better way than biking around it. In other countries, I was almost always able to find places where I could ride—even as a woman in Palestine and El Salvador during times of conflict.”
– BARB SETTLES
Growing Up In the Seat
Casey’s relationship with cycling started with being towed in a bike trailer to preschool. Today, the high schooler is a coach and competitor through Ashland Devo, a nonprofit that inspires youth through mountain biking.
“I started in biking programs in the valley before Devo existed,” Casey explains. “Then Devo started when I was in 7th grade. Friends joined and we started being guinea pigs for a new apprenticeship program.”
“Getting experience being a [mountain biking] coach is amazing. It’s a friendly team, with good people all around.”
– CASEY MCENROE
Weathering the Commute
For Casey, biking is more than transportation—it’s a way of life. “I got into gravel racing a while back, and I use the gravel bike to get around town,” he explains. For rainy days, his strategy is simple: “Get wet or get lucky when it’s not pouring. I do have rain pants and a rain jacket that I tie to my bike, and they’re dry when I get back from classes in the afternoon.”
The morning ride to school provides unexpected benefits. “I find that as a teenager at 8:00 am in the morning, it’s hard to sit in a class. But if I have to get my jacket and helmet on, it wakes me up and it’s something fun to do in the morning. I start the day having already gotten exercise,” Casey says.
Biking for Health and Community Engagement
In her professional life, Moneeka serves as the Program Coordinator of the Innovation and Leadership Degree program at Southern Oregon University, where she also advises students and teaches Organizational Communication and Intercultural Communication courses.
Moneeka recalls her time in Portland fondly, where “they’d shut down portions of the city for bike events. It’s social, fun, and silly.” In Ashland, she and her family occasionally join the Streets for Everyone First Friday Bike Rides, in addition to commuting to and from work at the college. Group rides are great, she says, for seeing how other people are living their values and encouraging others to take action, too.
“Biking gets us out, and we feel refreshed. It’s easy to get to work and around Ashland, and it makes us feel good.”
– MONEEKA SETTLES
“If we want people to bike, they have to feel comfortable with it. It needs to be accessible.”
– CASEY MCENROE
Volunteering Around Town
Barb’s retirement has blossomed into an impressive portfolio of volunteer work. She participates in the SMART reading program, volunteers at North Mountain Park removing invasive blackberries, serves on police patrol walking through Lithia Park, and is an active member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
Her commitments extend to the Ashland Japanese Garden, Vesper Meadows restoration projects with The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Cascades wildlife monitoring, Siskiyou Plant Exploratory Group, and the Backpack Interest Group. She’s also an active student of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) program at SOU, and sings with the Peace Choir.
In other words, you’ve likely seen Barb around town.
“The most important thing is getting people to think, ‘I can do that, too!’ When they see other volunteers, hopefully, it stirs their interest and gives them the idea that they can have power, too. Like reading to a kindergarten class or pulling weeds.”
–BARB SETTLES
Advocating for Cycling Infrastructure
Barb, Moneeka, and Casey all appreciate Ashland’s recent infrastructure improvements while recognizing areas for growth. “I love how visible the new enhanced bike lanes on Siskiyou are. When I need to go that route, I’m grateful for them,” Moneeka shares.
Casey adds his perspective on local trails: “Lizard and Jabberwocky, BTI—they’re open to everyone and you can enjoy them at any skill level. They’re fun for anyone who wants to try.”
Barb hopes that Ashland’s bike-friendly initiatives can inspire other cities, too. She sees untapped potential in many communities, and advises that “if you want to change people’s minds, make it irresistible.” This means making it easy and welcoming and focusing on the joys of biking.
A Pathway to Connections
Through their daily bicycle commutes and community involvement, the Settles family demonstrates that sustainable living isn’t just environmentally responsible—it’s a pathway to community connections, personal joy, and inspiring others to take action.
Story Credits
Settles Family
Barb and Moneeka Settles, and Casey McEnroe
Author
Rachel Koning
Photography
Professional photo by Bob Palermini, Ashland News
Personal photos shared courtesy of The Settles Family