Caltech Faces JPL Competition

Good morning, Pasadena. This is News N’ Roses. JPL actually started before NASA. It was founded in 1936 by Caltech researchers and students experimenting with rockets in the Arroyo Seco.

In today’s News N’ Roses:

• Caltech Will Have to Recompete to Keep Running JPL

• Golden Hour Brings Live Music to Norton Simon’s Sculpture Garden

• Events this Wednesday & Thursday

• Civic News

• Restaurant Spotlight

  • Old Sasoon Bakery

• Live Music Lowdown

Let’s get to it.

—Matthew Ramirez

THE DIGEST

Caltech Will Have to Recompete to Keep Running JPL

This one caught me off-guard. For the first time in decades, Caltech will have to compete to continue operating Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA announced it plans to open JPL’s management contract to competition as part of an effort to improve efficiency and accountability. Caltech has managed JPL since NASA was created in 1958 and currently holds a contract that runs through September 2028.

Caltech leadership said the move wasn’t unexpected and that a team has already been preparing for the process. The stakes are pretty big. Under Caltech’s management, JPL led missions including Mars Pathfinder, Cassini, Curiosity, Insight, Mars 2020, and major milestones in lunar exploration.

I personally don’t think anyone could manage JPL as well as Caltech. Nearly seven decades of institutional knowledge, culture, and experience have been built into the way JPL operates, and that’s not something you can easily hand off.

Golden Hour Brings Live Music to Norton Simon’s Sculpture Garden

This sounds like a pretty nice way to spend a Friday afternoon. The Norton Simon Museum is launching Golden Hour, a new outdoor music series set in its renovated sculpture garden with live performances, café snacks and drinks, and drawing supplies if you’re feeling artsy. The lineup rotates through jazz, string quartets, and North Indian music across select Fridays this summer.

The first event is this Friday, May 29 from 4:30PM–6:30PM and features a live jazz quartet. Admission is included with museum entry. More details here.

A MESSAGE FROM FIVE ACRES

Celebrate a century of impact at the Golden Five Acres Gala on June 6, 2026. This special evening marks 100 years at Five Acres’ historic Altadena campus, while honoring 138 years of caring for children across Los Angeles County. Held at a private club in Pasadena, the night draws inspiration from the glamour of the 1920s and brings together community members, supporters, and partners for a meaningful cause. I’m also proud to say News N’ Roses is a media sponsor for the event!

Guests can expect an elegant evening with live music, cocktails, and a full program designed to celebrate the organization’s legacy and future. It is a chance to be part of a milestone moment while supporting a mission focused on safety, well-being, and permanency for every child.

Tickets are now available, including early bird pricing. Join the Five Acres community in celebrating 100 years of hope, heart, and home. Buy tickets here.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Wednesday (5/27)

📚 Author Event: Susana M. Morris, Positive Obsession: Join author Susana M. Morris for a conversation and reading from her latest book exploring the life and work of one of literature’s influential voices. Octavia’s Bookshelf | Wednesday | May 27 | 6PM

🧠 Trivia Night: Test your knowledge at this weekly trivia night hosted by Game Night Trivia. Stone Brewing Tap Room – Pasadena | Wednesday | May 27 | 6PM

📖 Vroman’s Fiction Reading Group: Join a discussion of contemporary fiction at this month’s reading group featuring Human Acts by Han Kang. Vroman’s Bookstore | Wednesday | May 27 | 7PM

🎬 THE DEPARTED on the BIG screen!: Catch a Flashback Wednesday screening of The Departed, following an undercover cop and a mole trying to uncover each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston. Regency Academy 6 | Wednesday | May 27 | 7:30PM

🎭 Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon: Follow two American travelers who discover a mysterious Scottish village in this musical featuring a live orchestra, sweeping choreography, and classic songs from Lerner & Loewe. The Pasadena Playhouse | Wednesday | May 27 | 8PM

🎵 Austy’s Bootleg Game Show: Music Edition: Put your music knowledge to the test in this live game show where contestants compete through multiple rounds for a cash prize. Healing Force of The Universe | Wednesday | May 27 | 8PM

Thursday (5/28)

🏡 A Day In The Life at MorningStar of Pasadena Event: Get a glimpse into daily life at MorningStar Pasadena and learn more about its new Independent Living community opening in late Summer 2026. MorningStar Senior Living of Pasadena | Thursday | May 28 | 12PM

🏛️ Wrigley Mansion House Tour: Take a guided tour of Tournament House and explore the history, traditions, and stories behind the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game. Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association | Thursday | May 28 | 2PM

🥕 South Pasadena Farmers’ Market: Browse California-grown produce along with prepared food vendors, live music, and special events at this weekly market. 913 Meridian Ave. | Thursday | May 28 | 4-8PM

🎉 Junior League of Pasadena’s Annual Meeting: Celebrate the close of the League year with board installations, member recognitions, awards, and reflections on community accomplishments. Tournament House | Thursday | May 28 | 6:30PM

🤖 AI at the Edge: Robot Experts Share Lessons Learned: Explore how robots see, think, and act in real time through a panel on physical AI, edge computing, and autonomous systems using robot soccer as a case study. Supplyframe DesignLab | Thursday | May 28 | 6PM

🎭 Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon: Follow two American travelers who discover a mysterious Scottish village in this musical featuring a live orchestra, sweeping choreography, and classic songs from Lerner & Loewe. The Pasadena Playhouse | Thursday | May 28 | 7PM

👑 Exit the King: This absurdist comedy follows a king facing his final day while refusing to accept the inevitable. A Noise Within | Thursday | May 28 | 7:30PM

Upcoming Events

🔭 Caltech Stargazing Lecture – Images of the Hidden Universe: Professor Katie Bouman will discuss how AI, physics, and telescope observations are used to image black holes, dark matter, and other astrophysical phenomena during this free public astronomy lecture and stargazing event. Caltech Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics | Friday | May 29 | 8PM

👻 Monsterpalooza 2026: A three-day convention celebrating the art of monsters and movie magic with over 400 exhibitors, a monster museum, special guests, makeup demos, and presentations. Pasadena Convention Center | Friday–Sunday | May 29–31 | 6PM–11PM (Friday) | 11AM–6PM (Saturday & Sunday)

🇦🇲 Pasadena Armenian Festival: An annual celebration of Armenian culture featuring food, music, dance, crafts, cultural and vendor booths, and a children’s play area. Victory Park | Saturday | May 30 | 10AM–7PM

Upcoming events are added to the News N’ Roses events page. Check them out here!

*Nothing in this section is sponsored. These are just the things you need to know. I’ll always let you know if something is sponsored!

CIVIC NEWS

Public Safety Committee Special Meeting

Pasadena’s Public Safety Committee will hold a special meeting Thursday, May 28 at 5PM in the Pasadena City Hall Council Chambers to discuss public safety matters and provide oversight on issues affecting the city. Click here to view agenda. Pasadena City Hall Council Chambers | Thursday | May 28 | 5PM

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT

Old Sasoon Bakery

The other day, I wanted to bring something to a picnic and I knew exactly where to go. One of my favorite spots for Armenian food in Pasadena is Old Sasoon Bakery. It’s been family-owned for more than 70 years and feels like the kind of place people have been going to forever. Inside, there’s a deli case lined with hummus, cheeses, yogurt, and savory pastries, and the dining room has plenty of seating without losing that neighborhood bakery feel.

The khachapuri is what I usually think about first. It comes out hot with a crisp exterior, soft bread inside, and a generous amount of salty cheese with an egg cracked into the center. Adding spinach and basturma makes it feel substantial enough to share, although I usually don’t. The lahmajune is another easy recommendation. Thin, crispy, and topped with seasoned ground beef, tomato, onion, parsley, and plenty of garlic. The za’atar and cheese flatbread is worth ordering too. It’s aromatic, packed with sesame, thyme, and oregano, and smaller than you’d expect.

For something sweet, the pistachio baklava is excellent. Super flaky with layers of syrup-soaked pistachios that somehow still don’t feel overly heavy. Old Sasoon isn’t trying to reinvent anything. It just does classic Armenian bakery food really well, and that’s probably why people keep coming back.

WEATHER

Wednesday

61 🌡️ 49 |🌧️25%| 💨 SE 7 mph

🌆 Air Quality Index: 29 (Good)

Thursday

63 🌡️ 51 |⛅| 💨 S 11 mph

Temperature readings taken from the Pasadena Doppler Radar.

LIVE MUSIC

🎹 Music at Noon: Victor Shlyakhtenko, piano: Pianist Victor Radko-Shlyakhtenko performs a lunchtime concert following award-winning appearances in regional and international competitions. Pasadena Presbyterian Church | Wednesday | May 27 | 12:10PM

🎵 Music in the Chinese Garden: Enjoy traditional Chinese music performed live on classical instruments as you stroll through the Garden of Flowing Fragrance. The Huntington | Wednesday | May 27 | 1PM

🎶 Isobel Campbell (of Belle & Sebastian) featuring Evie Sands with opener Pink Mountaintops: Founding Belle & Sebastian member Isobel Campbell brings her chamber pop sound to Lodge Room with special guest Evie Sands and opener Pink Mountaintops. Lodge Room | Wednesday | May 27 | 8PM

🎶 Old Towne Pub: Catch a live set from Jed’s Dog and Joseph Howton at Old Towne Pub. Old Towne Pub Pasadena | Wednesday | May 27 | 9PM

🎸 Doug MacDonald: West Coast jazz guitarist Doug MacDonald performs an evening of jazz shaped by decades of collaborations and a bop-based style rooted in classic traditions. Edwin Mills | Thursday | May 28 | 6PM

🎷 Bryan Baker & Brother Rodriguez: Multi-instrumentalist Bryan Baker brings his blend of jazz and meditative soundscapes alongside Brother Rodriguez for a live performance. Healing Force of The Universe | Thursday | May 28 | 8PM

🎤 Sophia Stel featuring Suzy Clue: Artist and producer Sophia Stel brings her genre-blending sound to Lodge Room with support from Suzy Clue. Lodge Room | Thursday | May 28 | 8PM

THANKS!

Thanks for reading News N’ Roses today. If you found something useful, share it with someone who appreciates cloudy days like today. ☁️

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