Two former California governors--and other members of...

Two former California governors--and other members of the very political Brown family--showed up for the City Council vote unanimously confirming appointment of Kathleen Brown to a $60,356-a-year seat on the Board of Public Works.

The new board member’s father, ex-Gov. Edmund G. (Pat) Brown, assured council members that “she will do a magnificent job if she’ll stay away from her father and brother.”

Her brother, ex-Gov. Jerry Brown, a virtual recluse of late, declined to address the council, saying “when you have the votes you shouldn’t say any more.”

But he didn’t seem to mind when an old friend, Councilman Gilbert Lindsay, stopped by to tug at the beard he has grown since leaving the capital.

And he was ready as ever to parry reporters’ questions.

Yes, he had talked to several presidential hopefuls who wanted his support.

No, he wasn’t planning to support anyone; too busy writing a book, practicing law, investing his money. And preparing for his own possible return to the political arena.

After all, he said, “I’m not permanently retired . . . I hope.”

Life styles of the Rich and Famished: Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck held a reception--at his Spago restaurant in West Hollywood, of course, complete with specialties including Puck’s Peerless Pizza--to kick off release of his very first cooking video.

It’s title (what else?): “Spago Cooking With Wolfgang Puck.”

The annual “Monte Carlo Nite” fund- raiser of the Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce was kind of a washout this year.

Only about 500 people turned out, instead of the 1,500 that had been expected.

And most of the event’s big prizes--including round-trip tickets to London--went to Chamber Vice President Rhoda Stone, who had organized the event.

Officials declared it was all perfectly legitimate: “She was hot,” Chamber President Ray Extract said. “She was winning at the tables like crazy.” But there was a lot of criticism nonetheless.

So now the Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce has a brand-new rule.

“We established,” Extract said, “that nobody involved in running an event can take home a prize.”

The mix-up wasn’t funny:

Eduardo Gress, 29, and his wife, Dina, 23, told sheriff’s deputies that a man driving a white Ford followed them onto the Santa Ana Freeway in Boyle Heights, tailgating their car and honking his horn, and then fired several gunshots to force them to the side of the road.

Gress said he and his wife were unhurt but terrified as the gunman got out of his car, waving a pistol and screaming, “You tried to kidnap my wife!”

And then it was over.

They said the man looked inside the Gress car, realized Mrs. Gress was not the woman he was looking for, got back into his own automobile--and sped away without another word. Except from Eduardo Gress, when he talked to sheriff’s investigators.

Scared or not, he hadn’t forgotten to write down the other car’s license number . . . and police now are seeking its owner.

Neither Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky nor City Atty. James K. Hahn have come right out and declared themselves candidates for mayor. Hahn, in fact, has said he would never run against Mayor Tom Bradley--who has said he will seek reelection.

Nevertheless, the similarity of their non-running efforts is remarkable.

On Wednesday morning, for instance, non-candidate Hahn went to the Peck Park Recreational Center in San Pedro for the first of a series of programs offering tips on how to avoid consumer fraud schemes aimed at the elderly.

Which, of course, had nothing at all to do with non-candidate Yaroslavsky’s appearance about four hours later at the Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Recreation Center, where he led a public forum on the future of Los Angeles . . . hosted by Seniors for Action.