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Two-day book signing event draws fans, passersby to Ovitt Family Library and Ontario International Airport

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(Ontario, California – May 16, 2025) – A little scheduling conflict wasn’t about to keep Dominique Guerra from meeting one of her favorite authors, an opportunity made possible thanks to a partnership between the Ontario City Library and Ontario International Airport (ONT).

 

“I was so excited when I heard she was going to be here. I wasn’t able to make it to the library the other day, but this worked out perfectly,” Guerra said Friday from inside ONT Terminal 4, where Annette Chavez was signing copies of her book, “Big Chicas Don’t Cry.” “I love how she’s from Hispanic descent and how stories resemble our family’s – making tamales, celebrating the holidays together, her strength. It’s all very familiar.”

 

Guerra was among more than 100 fans and curiosity seekers who received free, signed copies of the book during the two-day signing event – Wednesday at the Ovitt Family Library in downtown Ontario, and Friday at the airport. The event, subtitled “Celebrating LatinX Voices,” was part of an ongoing effort by the Ontario City Library and the airport’s Authors @ ONT program to highlight writers and the importance of reading.

 

Guerra was grateful for the opportunity. By using the airport’s ONT+ digital visitors pass, she was able to go through TSA screening to access the post-security side of the terminal.

 

Some who attended the signings hadn’t heard of Chavez, but were intrigued by the title of the book. “Big Chicas Don’t Cry” follows four cousins who navigate love, loss and the meaning of family over the course of one memorable year.

 

The storyline resonated with Vanessa Nunez, who broke her pelvis in a traffic accident last October. “It caught my eye. With everything that’s happened, I thought, maybe, it would help me not cry anymore.”

 

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About Ontario International Airport

Ontario International Airport (ONT) is California's most popular mid-sized airport, according to J.D. Power's most recent North America Airport Satisfaction Study. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which offers nonstop commercial jet service to two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

 

About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA)

The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA leaders include Ontario Mayor pro Tem Alan D. Wapner (President), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Treasurer) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner).