HARLINGEN — Just a few days ago, the scoreboard at the local football stadium was alive with numbers and faces.
Now it’s just a skeleton.
After 13 years, the scoreboard at Boggus Stadium is being switched out for new technology, said Oscar Tapia, assistant superintendent for Harlingen school district operations
“We couldn’t find parts anymore to replace the light modules,” Tapia said. “They were becoming obsolete, so we’re updating to a new digital LED-lit scoreboard.”
Sponsorships are footing the bill for the $550,000 project. It might have cost much more, but use of existing infrastructure cut the expense by $400,000.
Cranes and the bare poles of the scoreboard showed too clearly the activities of the past week. Tapia said as of Friday the scoreboard had been taken down, leaving only the frame for the new structure.
“I think they’ve already got some new parts in,” he said.
The old scoreboard used LED lighting in only a small area of the center, said Shane Strubhart, spokesperson for the district. The LED lighting in the center allowed for footage of the games as they were played.
The rest of the board had only static light and sound, meaning it didn’t move like the video.
The new construction will increase the size of the video from 160 square feet to 755 square feet. This will allow significantly more space for live footage, dynamic advertisements and scoring of games.
Work also will soon begin on handrails in the concrete bleachers of Boggus Stadium, Tapia said.
“The steps in all of the aisles, we’re going to be installing handrails to improve the safety of the spectators,” he said.
The district is paying Sturdi Steel Corporation $148,945 to install the railings in time for the new school year.
