code: public static VelocityEngine createEngine (String templatePath)
          throws Exception
      {
          VelocityEngine ve = new VelocityEngine();
          ve.setProperty(VelocityEngine.VM_LIBRARY, "");
          ve.setProperty("file.resource.loader.path", templatePath);
          ve.setProperty(VelocityEngine.RUNTIME_LOG_LOGSYSTEM, _logger);
          ve.init();
          return ve;
      }
docs: Creates a {@link VelocityEngine} that is configured to load templates
  from the specified path and log using the samskivert logging classes and
  not complain about a bunch of pointless stuff that it generally
  complains about.
  
  @throws Exception if a problem occurs initializing Velocity. We'd throw
  something less generic, but that's what {@link VelocityEngine#init}
  throws.