Loading properties file from Servlet

Trying to load a properties file from a Servlet and I'm getting null pointer excepion.  I can't figure out

1.  The code

// servet stuff...
Properties myProps = new Properties();
myProps.load(getClass().getResourceAsStream("conf/build.properties");  // << -- thrown from here **
String foo = (String) myProps.getProperty("foo);

2. On my appserver the properties file lives here.
 
$APPDIR/WEB-INF/classes/conf/build.properties

3.  Exception

java.lang.NullPointerException
        at java.util.Properties$LineReader.readLine(Properties.java:365)
        at java.util.Properties.load(Properties.java:293)
        at com.saferX.util.misc.PropertiesUtil.init(PropertiesUtil.java:71)  << -- ** Line marked above.
        at com.saferX.util.misc.PropertiesUtil.<init>(PropertiesUtil.java:43)
        at com.saferX.util.misc.PropertiesUtil.getPropertiesUtil(PropertiesUtil.
java:103)
        at com.saferX.web.action.LoginAction.initVersionInfo(LoginAction.java:20
1)
        at com.saferX.web.action.LoginAction.executeLogin(LoginAction.java:157)
        at com.saferX.web.action.LoginAction.execute(LoginAction.java:52)
        at org.apache.struts.action.RequestProcessor.processActionPerform(Reques
tProcessor.java:421)
        at org.apache.struts.action.RequestProcessor.process(RequestProcessor.ja
va:226)
        at org.apache.struts.action.ActionServlet.process(ActionServlet.java:116
4)
        at org.apache.struts.action.ActionServlet.doPost(ActionServlet.java:415)

        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:154)
        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:92)
        at com.caucho.server.dispatch.ServletFilterChain.doFilter(ServletFilterC
hain.java:106)
        at com.caucho.server.webapp.WebAppFilterChain.doFilter(WebAppFilterChain
.java:173)
        at com.caucho.server.dispatch.ServletInvocation.service(ServletInvocatio
n.java:229)
        at com.caucho.server.http.HttpRequest.handleRequest(HttpRequest.java:274
)
        at com.caucho.server.port.TcpConnection.run(TcpConnection.java:511)
        at com.caucho.util.ThreadPool.runTasks(ThreadPool.java:516)
        at com.caucho.util.ThreadPool.run(ThreadPool.java:442)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:595)
java.lang.NullPointerException
        at java.util.Properties$LineReader.readLine(Properties.java:365)
        at java.util.Properties.load(Properties.java:293)
        at com.saferX.util.misc.PropertiesUtil.init(PropertiesUtil.java:59)
        at com.saferX.util.misc.PropertiesUtil.getProperty(PropertiesUtil.java:1
31)
        at com.saferX.web.action.LoginAction.initVersionInfo(LoginAction.java:20
5)
        at com.saferX.web.action.LoginAction.executeLogin(LoginAction.java:157)
        at com.saferX.web.action.LoginAction.execute(LoginAction.java:52)
        at org.apache.struts.action.RequestProcessor.processActionPerform(Reques
tProcessor.java:421)
        at org.apache.struts.action.RequestProcessor.process(RequestProcessor.ja
va:226)
        at org.apache.struts.action.ActionServlet.process(ActionServlet.java:116
4)
        at org.apache.struts.action.ActionServlet.doPost(ActionServlet.java:415)

        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:154)
        at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:92)
        at com.caucho.server.dispatch.ServletFilterChain.doFilter(ServletFilterC
hain.java:106)
        at com.caucho.server.webapp.WebAppFilterChain.doFilter(WebAppFilterChain
.java:173)
        at com.caucho.server.dispatch.ServletInvocation.service(ServletInvocatio
n.java:229)
        at com.caucho.server.http.HttpRequest.handleRequest(HttpRequest.java:274
)
        at com.caucho.server.port.TcpConnection.run(TcpConnection.java:511)
        at com.caucho.util.ThreadPool.runTasks(ThreadPool.java:516)
        at com.caucho.util.ThreadPool.run(ThreadPool.java:442)
        at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:595)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
How do I fix it and read property 'foo' from that properties file?